White Dog Night
by Nate Grey
Summary: Kiba gives his life to save Hinata, and she and Akamaru must unite to save each other. But with the biggest threat to their lives being her own clan, the only safe place for a shy girl and her little white dog may be outside Konoha's gates...
1. Dog Jutsu for Dummies

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I make no profit from this.

Notes: My first Naruto fanfic. I know there's a ton, so I tried to do something I've never seen before (in fanfic, anyway). This would take place early on in the series, shortly after Naruto and the other genin are sorted into their respective cells.

Summary: Hinata has one day to develop a jutsu that she and Akamaru can use together. Fortunately, Naruto's sensei Kakashi knows plenty about ninken, and Hinata as well.

**Dog Jutsu for Dummies**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

Hyuuga Hinata was more nervous than usual as she and her teammates sat on the grass, staring at each other somewhat uneasily. Just when they were starting to get used to the idea of being a cohesive unit, their sensei had placed another obstacle in their path towards real teamwork, or so it seemed at the time.

Inuzuka Kiba hadn't said a word since the announcement, which was very strange for him. He was always the loudest and most confident member of the team, and the idea of him being uncomfortable made Hinata even more nervous.

Aburame Shino hardly said anything at all, ever, but they had learned that when he did, it was usually a good idea to listen. He wasn't saying anything now, though, but it was hard to be sure if he was feeling uncomfortable, or anything else, for that matter.

Akamaru, being a dog, only spoke in growls, yips, and barks as far as Hinata knew, and even then only Kiba understood him perfectly. As with most dogs, it was pretty obvious when he was happy, angry, or sad, but beyond that, it was difficult to know what he was thinking.

"Well?" Yuhi Kurenai asked when no one spoke up. "Any volunteers?" She looked expectantly at each member of Team 8 in turn, waiting for someone to reply.

Hinata could tell that her sensei was starting to get annoyed, so she made up her mind to push aside her hesitation and at least get the ball rolling. Shifting slightly in the grass, she opened her mouth and began to answer.

Not surprisingly, as he nearly always did, Kiba beat her to it.

"Okay, let's just do this," he practically ordered, a determined look in his eyes. "I'll take some of Shino's bugs, and Hinata can borrow Akamaru first."

Shino offered no visible or audible protest, merely handing over two or three insects that Kiba accepted with some obvious discomfort. Hinata was more than a little surprised when Akamaru rose from his place at Kiba's side and loped over to her, plopping himself comfortably in her lap, where he began to wag his tail eagerly. This was odd behavior for the white dog, since he had never given Hinata anything more than a bark or a nudge when he thought she was moving too slowly. Certainly he was never this friendly with anyone other than Kiba.

When Hinata looked to Kiba for an explanation, he just grinned. "You always smell like flowers. We don't have too many of those around my place anymore. Guess Akamaru misses them."

Hinata blushed and smiled faintly, ducking her head to avoid Kiba's gaze. This brought her face closer to Akamaru, who took it as a signal to hop up and lick her chin. She giggled softly and petted the dog's back, watching his tail wag even faster than before. "I like him," she murmured. "He's sweet."

Kiba grunted noncommittally, as if he should've been insulted by the comment, but really wasn't. "Yeah, well, NOW he is. But you're not a threat to him. If you were, though..."

"I'm sure he would be quite fierce," Hinata agreed, trying to save Kiba just a little dignity in front of the others. Naturally, she then proceeded to ruin it, unknowingly, by talking to the dog. Hinata rubbed Akamaru's neck with both hands as she spoke to him. "Isn't that right, Akamaru? You'd protect me just like our big, strong Kiba-kun does, wouldn't you?"

Akamaru barked in what Hinata assumed was the affirmative, since his tail kept wagging wildly. Had she bothered to look, it would've been pretty obvious from the slight shade of red in Kiba's face.

"It's a nice start, but being on good terms with the animals isn't enough," Kurenai reminded them all. "The point of this exercise is to actually make use of them when their owners aren't around. Suppose Shino was knocked out during a mission, and you needed his insects to create a solution with the same properties as a smelling salt. How would you do it?"

Hinata and Kiba stared at each other blankly. It was obvious that neither one had the faintest idea of what to do in that situation. And if Shino knew the answer, he clearly wasn't telling.

This didn't seem to surprise Kurenai at all. "Since Kiba has the insects this time around, it'll be his job to figure that out. Hinata, I want you to develop one jutsu that either you and Akamaru can perform together, or one that you teach him to do on his own. I don't expect anything too advanced, since you come from two very different clans, but not being an Inuzuka is no excuse for not learning a few tricks with ninken. They can be extremely useful, as I'm sure Kiba has told you."

"I'll try, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata promised, still feeling a bit uncertain about the whole thing. She had seen some of Akamaru's techniques with Kiba, but she wasn't so naive as to think that she could pull off anything like that. Most of their attacks depended on Kiba's strength and speed, and Hinata was probably the weakest member of the team in those categories. At least, she thought so, and Hinata hoped Akamaru's opinion of her (and by extension, Kiba's) wouldn't change once he realized that, too.

"You'll do fine," Kiba said at once. "You'll figure something out, and when you do, Akamaru won't let you down."

Hinata turned bright red and looked away. "Thank you, Kiba-kun," she whispered. It was nice to know he had that much confidence in her, though she still had no clue as to what kind of jutsu she could teach Akamaru.

* * *

Once Kurenai dismissed the team, Hinata wandered around the village for a while, hoping to stumble upon an idea for a new jutsu. The only real restriction Kurenai had given them was that they couldn't ask each other for help. Technically, that meant Hinata was allowed to ask Kiba's mother and sister for advice, but somehow that felt like cheating to her.

In the meantime, Hinata merely kept her eyes and ears open, hoping some inspiration would come to her. She was carrying Akamaru in her arms, in order to conserve all his energy for the jutsu (she certainly didn't expect to get it right the first time). That, and she didn't think her neck was strong enough to have him sitting on her head all the time, as he was used to doing with Kiba.

It was something of a happy accident that Hinata happened to be passing by Ichiraku Ramen just as the most loyal customer was leaving. As if it were fated to be, they nearly walked right into each other, and were saved from harm only by Akamaru's warning bark.

"Huh? Oh, it's you, Hinata," Uzumaki Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry about that, I didn't see you." He paused, catching sight of a somewhat miffed Akamaru in her arms (he had nearly been squashed between them, after all). "Hey, isn't that Kiba's dog?" he asked, leaning closer. Akamaru growled low in his throat, and fortunately, Naruto took the hint and took a step back.

Color blossomed in Hinata's cheeks as she stared at him, and her mouth temporarily forgot all the words she knew, save one. "N-Naruto..." she breathed, all other thoughts forgotten as he looked at her expectantly.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, giving her a funny look. "You're always short of breath and feverish every time I see you. Maybe you should go home and get some rest."

Realizing that Naruto thought she was ill, Hinata shook her head to clear it and finally managed to speak properly. "No, I'm fine, really. Akamaru and I were just out walking around..."

"Then shouldn't he be walking, too?" Naruto asked, growing more puzzled by the minute.

Hinata shook her head. "I don't want him to be tired later. Kurenai-sensei said I have to teach him a new jutsu, but I don't know where to start, since I'm not allowed to ask Kiba-kun for help."

Naruto laughed out loud, and Hinata could only look on cluelessly, since she had no idea what he found so amusing.

"You don't need to ask Kiba!" Naruto chuckled, winking at her. "You happen to have access to a REAL expert on ninja hounds!"

Hinata's eyes widened in relief. "You mean... you know about ninken, Naruto-kun?" she asked hopefully. Just the thought of spending more time with Naruto made her heart beat faster.

"Me? HA! No way!" Naruto replied with a huge grin. "I was talking about Kakashi-sensei! He's got TONS of ninja hounds just lying around. Come on, I'll show you were he lives." With that, he started walking.

"Um... Naruto-kun, isn't that... cheating?" Hinata asked hesitantly. "I mean, he's your sensei. If I can't ask Kiba-kun for help, I shouldn't be able to ask him, either..."

Naruto shook his head as he turned back to her, smiling patiently. "Did your sensei SAY you couldn't ask another sensei?"

"Um...no, but-"

"Then it's not cheating!" Naruto insisted with an easy grin. "You gotta learn to read between the lines, Hinata. Kakashi-sensei taught me that!"

Hinata had heard a great deal about Naruto's sensei, and not all of it good. But the rumors seemed to agree that he was formidable, and if Naruto had taken the man's teachings to heart so readily, who was she to argue?

* * *

Naruto had a certain way of doing things, and Hinata knew that better than most. Still, she wished he would show a little more respect than he was at the moment.

"HEY! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto hollered as he kicked the apartment door. "Open up! It's your number one student!"

The door finally did open, and it did so just as Hinata had expected it to: quickly, as if the person behind it was very much irritated. And, quite obviously, they were.

They just also happened to NOT be Naruto's sensei.

"Keep it down, you idiot!" Haruno Sakura shouted, her left eye twitching angrily. "Everyone within a mile can hear you!" It was then that she noticed Hinata, and instantly calmed down, as if she hadn't just been seconds away from breathing fire on Naruto. "Hi, Hinata. What are you doing hanging out with HIM? I'm sure you have better ways to waste your time."

"What are YOU doing here, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, though unlike her, he didn't seem upset all.

Sakura sighed. "Same thing as you, I bet: getting advice from Kakashi-sensei. At least, I WAS, until SOMEONE started attacking his door!"

Naruto laughed loudly, startling Hinata. "That's great! So we're both getting ahead of the game! I should've known only you and I would think of something smart like that! I guess poor Sasuke's going to get left behind, huh?"

Sakura smiled nastily. "Actually, Sasuke-kun was just leaving when I got here, so it's looks like YOU are the one in last place again, Naruto. But I guess the fact that you're even here at all is a step up for you."

"Just like a slacker to take off early!" Naruto countered, earning a glare from Sakura.

Hinata could tell that this would go on all day if she didn't stop them. Plus, even though Naruto and Sakura were arguing, Naruto seemed to be enjoying himself, which made Hinata a bit jealous. On the other hand, Sakura seemed to be getting more and more annoyed by the second, so it was very likely that Naruto was the only one having fun.

Somehow, Akamaru seemed to sense Hinata's distress, because he barked loudly, bringing the heated exchange to an abrupt end.

"Oh, sorry, Hinata. We didn't mean to upset your... dog?" Sakura said slowly, looking confused. "I didn't know you had one."

"She doesn't, he's Kiba's," Naruto informed her. "Hinata's just borrowing him for a new jutsu she has to learn. That's why I brought her to Kakashi-sensei."

"So you're not actually here to learn anything, Naruto," Sakura sighed, shaking her head. "I should've known better."

"I am too here to learn!" Naruto insisted heatedly. "I'm going to watch!"

"Actually, you won't," said a new voice. "While I'm happy to help Hinata, any advice I give her is none of your business."

Hinata looked up to see a tall, lanky man appear behind Sakura. For some reason, she was instantly reminded of an old scarecrow. He certainly didn't look dangerous, in fact, he looked just a bit worn out. The only visible part of his face was his right eye, the rest being obscured by his mask and forehead protector. His white hair was sticking out in all directions, almost as if he'd just lost a fight. His voice was calm, even friendly, and Hinata decided that she liked him at once.

"Aw, no fair!" Naruto complained. "I want to learn about ninken, too, Kakashi-sensei!"

Hatake Kakashi nodded slowly, but his eye never left Hinata's face. "An admirable goal, but I'll teach you another time, Naruto. Just as each genin is different, so is the training that works best for each one. You wouldn't be able to effectively use all of the advice I'm going to give Hinata."

"Can't I at least try?" Naruto wheedled.

"No." Kakashi clearly wasn't going to agree, but his voice never rose in the slightest. "And if you really need a reason, it is this. My advice will involve discussing Hinata's personal history. It is for her ears alone. If she chooses to tell you about it later, that's fine. But until then, it will stay between us."

"Aww..." Naruto groaned, obviously disappointed. "But you'll train me tomorrow, right?"

"Tomorrow," Kakashi agreed with a nod. "Bright and early. 5 AM should be perfect."

"What!" Naruto cried. "But you never even show up before 6 AM!"

The accusation didn't seem to bother Kakashi in the least. "If I show up and you're not there, I'll assume you changed your mind," he replied.

"Then you'll be even further behind us, Naruto," Sakura reminded him, prodding the boy in the shoulder.

Naruto frowned and clenched his fist dramatically. "Fine! I'll be there!" he shouted.

"That's the spirit," Kakashi said approvingly. "Now, you two run along. Sakura, keep practicing what we talked about, and you shouldn't have any more trouble."

Sakura inclined her head respectfully, blushing faintly at the same time. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei. Thank you!" Hinata suspected that Sakura didn't want anyone to know she'd needed some extra help. She watched as Sakura practically shoved Naruto out of the apartment, closing the door behind them.

"They're good kids," Kakashi said absently, almost as if he were talking to himself. "A little odd, but good kids all the same." He blinked and turned to Hinata. "Well, then. What can I do for you?"

Suddenly realizing that his full attention was on her, Hinata had to suppress a wave of anxiety before she could speak. "Naruto-kun said you were the one to ask about ninken. I've seen a few of Akamaru's jutsu with Kiba, but none of them really fit me."

"That's not surprising. You come from two very different clans, and so you have two very different fighting styles. It's only natural that you'd have some questions when it comes to ninken. I doubt Kiba knows anything about Gentle Fist, save for what he's seen from you."

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise. "You know Gentle Fist, Kakashi-sensei?"

The honorific seemed to catch them both off guard, but Kakashi ended the awkward moment with a little laugh. "Do I know Gentle Fist? It would be more accurate to say I know of it. I've been around for some time, and I've seen a great deal. And there I go talking about myself, when you're more interested in ninken. Sorry about that."

"Oh, it's alright," Hinata assured him quickly. "I don't really know much about you, and Naruto-kun speaks so highly of your training. I'm sure you must have a very interesting life."

"We can debate that some other time. For now, I think we'd better focus on why you're here. You're supposed to have a new jutsu to show Kurenai, and I doubt she'd be happy if you told her my life story instead." Kakashi closed his eye briefly, as if he were attempting to order his thoughts. It was still closed when he finally asked, "Forgive me, but am I correct in assuming you're familiar with the bloodline limit of your clan?"

Considering he'd already known about Gentle Fist, Hinata wasn't too surprised that Kakashi also knew about the Byakugan. She was starting to wonder if there was anything in all of Konoha that he didn't know about, frankly.

"Yes," Hinata answered after a few seconds had passed.

"Ah," Kakashi replied simply.

In the long silence that followed, Hinata wondered if it had been a mistake to admit that. Being able to use the Byakugan had gotten her out of (and into) a great deal of danger in the past, and she was very careful about who she revealed the ability to. Though she trusted Kakashi so far, she was very aware of the fact that he outranked her by a great deal, and that she would be no match for him if he decided to attack her.

"Well, let's get started," Kakashi said abruptly.

"Do you... need me to demonstrate?" Hinata asked hesitantly as she set Akamaru down on the floor.

"There's no need for that." Kakashi turned his back to her. "There's no need for me to see it, I mean. I can understand why you wouldn't want me to. Just you knowing how to use it is enough for our purposes today."

Worried that she had offended him, Hinata tried to explain herself. "Oh... but I-"

"It's alright, Hinata," he assured her calmly. "Now, you know to target and block chakra channels, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good. Have you ever tried stimulating the channels instead?"

"I... no," Hinata answered, starting to feel very worried about her chances of success. "Is that anything like healing?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Not quite. In fact, it can be very dangerous. That's why I want you to practice on me before you try anything with Akamaru. The idea is to encourage chakra production, rather than cutting it off. Keep in mind that releasing too much chakra can be harmful, even fatal. But I'm sure that won't be a problem."

"Why are you sure?" Hinata murmured, biting her lip.

Kakashi shrugged calmly. "Let's just say I have confidence in both of us, and leave it at that. Whenever you're ready."

Though she did her best to avoid using the Byakugan frequently, Hinata could no longer remember a time when the activation hadn't been second nature to her. Taking a deep breath, she stepped closer to Kakashi, wondering just how much she could hurt him if she did something wrong.

"You're thinking too much," Kakashi noted. "Let me worry about the consequences for now."

"It's just that I don't usually practice unfamiliar techniques on other people," Hinata whispered.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to," said a familiar voice in her ear. "You're weak and soft, and you'll never be anything else. That'll make it so much easier when I finally decide to break you."

Hinata reacted without thought, spinning around and lashing out at the sneering face of her cousin. She was surprised when she connected with something that felt completely unlike a face, however.

It was a wall. At least, it had been before Hinata's fist had plowed into it. Now it was a wall with a fist-sized dent in it.

"I suppose that's my fault for trying to motivate you," Kakashi sighed.

Hinata blinked, shaking her head. "What... what happened?"

"Basic genjitsu. I thought hearing Neji threaten you might provoke you. It did, just not the way I'd hoped for. Had you been focusing the Byakugan, you probably would've seen through the illusion. But you allowed yourself to be distracted by his voice, and you never even bothered to look."

"I can't help it," Hinata admitted softly, looking down. "Everyone in my family... everyone that I love... sometimes I think they'd rather harm me than protect me. Every time I hear his voice, or see his face, I'm afraid that he'll-"

"You can't be afraid of Neji, Hinata. He has enough advantages over you as it is. Don't give him another. Admitting your fear is one thing, but giving into it is another entirely. If you allow your fear of Neji to control you, you allow him to control you. And forgive me for saying so, but I thought it was supposed to be the other way around between you two."

Hinata gasped at the implication. "I would never-!"

"If he were in your place, would he?" Kakashi asked quietly.

She didn't answer, nor did she need to. If Neji had been a member of the main house, and she had been the one with the Cursed Seal on her forehead, would he hesitate to activate it each and every time he saw her? Hinata didn't want to believe that Neji was that cruel, but there had been very little evidence to the contrary in the time that she'd known him. His hatred for the main house ran deep, and because she was in line to be the Hyuuga clan's heir, this was especially true for Hinata in particular.

"I can only help you if you want to be helped, Hinata," Kakashi pointed out. "So let's make a deal. I won't play any more tricks on you, if you keep your focus."

"I'll try," Hinata agreed with a small, determined nod.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Hinata finally left Kakashi's apartment. She was exhausted, could barely see three feet in front of her without wincing, and seriously doubted that she would make it home at all this night. Despite that (or even because of it), she could now proudly consider herself one of Kakashi's success stories (he'd told her as much, right before he passed out on his couch).

Akamaru wasn't in much better condition. Though he hadn't trained for as long as Hinata had, most of his energy had been sapped in just the three short, closely supervised trials. Kakashi had been very impressed with the dog's stamina. The first two attempts had left Akamaru so weak he could barely stand, but he had refused to stay down. He had even gone so far as to bite Hinata's arm, gently, when she tried to talk him out of the final attempt.

Hinata still couldn't believe that they'd pulled it off. Yet, the scroll in her pocket insisted otherwise. Kakashi had hastily scribbled out a note for Kurenai, certifying that Hinata had created, and would eventually perfect the jutsu on her own.

At first, Hinata had thought that this was so she could get more out of the experience. But it was quickly dawning on her that Kakashi probably trained his other three genin in much the same way, and that Sakura had most likely been "practicing" on him earlier as well. Kakashi probably wouldn't last another week if he had to let four genin beat him up on a regular basis.

Honestly, she still felt a little guilty about wearing him out. Hinata was thinking of doing something nice for him, just so he'd know how much she appreciated his help. Naruto would probably have an idea... and it would give her another excuse to spend time with him. The idea brought a dreamy smile to Hinata's weary face as she dragged herself home, with Akamaru practically crawling at her side.

Because it was so late, Hinata didn't expect to run into anyone. Chances were they'd see her first and be able to dodge accordingly anyway, and she was in no shape to be much good at either. She did feel Akamaru bump into her ankle, but she assumed he had just tripped over his own paws, and bent down to help him up.

Hinata raised her head just in time to be sandwiched between two soft, pillowy mounds before she landed hard on her bottom, squeaking in pain.

There was a strangely similar squeak from the other person, who Hinata assumed was female. But when she took a closer look, she realized she'd been very wrong.

"Ow..." Naruto groaned, rubbing his chest. For some reason, his clothes were smoking slightly, as if he'd just dropped a smoke bomb.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked in pleasant surprise. "What are you doing out so late?"

"Who, me?" Naruto's face turned bright red. "Um, I was jogging, and... Yeah! I was jogging! Jogging, and absolutely nothing else!" He almost sounded desperate, as if he thought Hinata wouldn't believe him.

"Oh. You know, for a second, I thought you were a girl," Hinata commented with a small smile. "I guess I must really be tired, if I could mistake you for a girl."

"Must be," Naruto agreed with a weak laugh. "Hey, um, why don't I walk you home? I could use an alibi."

Hinata blinked. "What?"

"I mean, I wanted to say goodbye!" Naruto blurted out as he jumped to his feet. "Uh, goodnight, that is! Yeah, that's what I meant to say!"

"You don't have to," Hinata whispered, her cheeks growing red. "I don't want to be a burden..."

"No, I insist!" Naruto said at once, pulling her off of the ground. "I just ran over you, so it's my duty to make sure no one else does!" He pointed in the direction she'd been walking. "This way, right?"

Hinata could only manage a nod before he practically dragged her down the road, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, as if he were afraid she might try to run. Her whole face was glowing red now, and she couldn't think of a single reason to protest. Naruto had even picked up Akamaru without her noticing, and had the dog tucked under his free arm.

"So, how'd it go with Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto panted, trying to make conversation.

"Oh, very well. Akamaru and I were able to learn a new jutsu after all," Hinata replied breathlessly. "I can't thank you enough for your help, Naruto-kun."

"Ah, it's just practice for when I become the next Hokage!" Naruto boasted. "Then I'll be able to help everyone in Konoha!"

"I... I hope all your dreams come true," Hinata murmured softly.

"Hey, thanks! I think... I think we just passed your place, didn't we?"

Sure enough, they'd been so busy talking that they'd walked right past the main gate of the Hyuuga Clan's land. They quickly doubled back, and all too soon for her liking, Naruto removed his arm from Hinata's waist and put Akamaru down.

"Well, uh, goodnight," Naruto said after an awkward moment of silence. He started to hurry off, but Hinata gently caught his arm.

"Wait, Naruto-kun," she pleaded.

"Yeah? What is it?" he asked.

Hinata lowered her head. "I-I have no right to ask, but... I have to demonstrate my jutsu tomorrow, and... I need a volunteer..."

Naruto stared at her uncertainly. "You mean, you need a target?" he guessed.

Her face turned bright red. "Yes. I-I know it's an unusual request, but-"

"What time?" Naruto interrupted. "I'm training with Kakashi-sensei in the morning, but after that, I'm not doing anything important."

"Kurenai-sensei said we would begin at noon."

"Fine, I'll be there. But, um, what kind of damage are we talking here?"

Hinata looked away. "It's hard to explain. Kakashi-sensei could tell you better than I could, since I used it on him. I'll understand if you change your mind after talking to him, though..."

"I won't change my mind. I said I'd be there, and I always keep promises to my friends!" Naruto puffed out his chest. "I can take pain, no problem!"

"We... we're friends?" Hinata whispered, her voice trembling.

The question caught Naruto off guard. "Well... yeah! I wouldn't go to all this trouble for a stranger! Okay, maybe I would, but-"

Hinata suddenly closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist as she buried her face in his chest. "Thank you so much for saying that, Naruto-kun."

He stared at the top of her head in confusion for a few seconds, but finally slid his arms around her back. "I didn't think I had to, but if it makes you feel better..."

"It really does," Hinata assured him just before she let go. She could tell he didn't quite know what to make of the hug, and Hinata herself was still amazed that she'd had the nerve to be so forward.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Naruto said, waving as he turned and walked away.

Hinata entered the gate with a huge smile plastered across her face. Knowing that Naruto considered her a friend left a warm, pleasant feeling in her belly, and for a few seconds, her exhaustion was forgotten as she scooped up Akamaru and quickly ran inside.

Once inside her room, Hinata collapsed on the bed with a sigh. She was vaguely aware of Akamaru wriggling under her arm, but didn't think much about it until she noticed that he was settling down on the floor.

"What are you doing down there, Akamaru?" Hinata asked. "It's time to sleep now."

Akamaru barked at her and lowered his head to rest on his paws, but she had no idea what the problem was. The only thing she could imagine was that he might be uncomfortable sleeping in a new place without Kiba.

Hinata patted the spot next to her on the bed. "Come on up here, Akamaru. You don't have to sleep on the floor."

Akamaru whined uncertainly, but eventually hopped up on the bed and allowed Hinata to drape her arm over him again.

Hinata rubbed his head affectionately. "I'd never make you sleep on the floor, not after you worked so hard. I know Kiba-kun is going to be very proud of you when I tell him what a good dog you are." She giggled when Akamaru licked her nose. "I like you, too."

* * *

"So if you give the bugs enough chakra, they can pretty much do whatever's needed on their own," Kiba explained with a shrug. "I found out they can relay messages to and through Shino, so if we ever get separated, we can stay in contact with each other. We could try that around the village, in order to work the... uh... the bugs out..." He threw a guilty look at Shino. "Sorry, man."

If Shino got the joke, he gave no sign.

"That's a good idea, Kiba," Kurenai said. "A relay system would definitely improve your teamwork in the field, and at home." She then looked to the kunoichi of the group, who hadn't said a thing all morning. "You're up, Hinata. Got something to show us?"

"Oh... yes, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata murmured nervously as she stood up.

"Good. Why don't you demonstrate first, then tell us how you did it?"

Hinata nodded, then turned to signal Akamaru, and nearly gasped when she found he was already sitting at her feet, looking up at her expectantly. It was almost eerie, how smart he was, as if he understood people other than Kiba at times. Feeling a sudden rush of affection for the dog, she briefly bent down to pet him.

"I-I'm going to need a volunteer..." Hinata said softly.

Kiba instantly stood up, cracking his knuckles in an obscenely loud manner.

"So I arranged for someone to assist me."

Kiba's face split into a frown, and he had barely opened his mouth when Akamaru began to growl. Kiba joined him as Naruto jogged up, panting slightly as he squatted next to Hinata.

"You guys... always train... all the way... out here?" Naruto gasped, wiping some sweat from his forehead.

"You asked HIM?" Kiba demanded angrily. "You couldn't get anyone else?"

Naruto glared up at him. "Hey, dog breath. You ever stop to think that maybe asking, 'Can you stand there while I take your head off?' is easy? Or that there'd be a bunch of people willing to say yes?"

"I would've done it!" Kiba snapped.

"Yeah, well, she didn't ASK you," Naruto replied with a huge grin. "Probably thought you weren't... MAN enough to take it. Or that you'd turn and run with your tail between your-"

Hinata finally stepped between the two boys, pushing them apart. "Kiba-kun, I didn't ask you because it wouldn't have been fair to Akamaru. I couldn't ask him to attack you and expect him to perform at his best. He doesn't seem to like Naruto-kun very much, though, so... I thought he was a better choice."

"You took Akamaru's feelings into account," Kurenai said approvingly. "Very good, Hinata. It seems you did understand the assignment."

"So let's get on with it. I never like to stretch out getting my butt kicked," Naruto laughed good-naturedly.

"Just stay where you are and try not to dodge, please, Naruto-kun," Hinata requested as she moved back a couple of feet.

Naruto smirked. "Think I can handle that."

Taking a deep breath, Hinata knelt down and stroked Akamaru's back as she concentrated on Naruto's chest. "It's just like we practiced," she whispered, more to herself than the dog. "The only difference is that it's easier now, since we know what to expect. Ready, Akamaru?"

She felt the dog's body tense up underneath her hands.

"Good boy," she murmured. "Byakugan!"

When she was younger, she had likened the feeling to the world flipping over to reveal an entirely new side underneath. It was nowhere near that big a sensation now, more like a strange tickle at the back of her skull. And yet, the feeling was no longer anywhere near as pleasant as it had once been. She knew now that her cousin Neji felt much the same thing... and that he would feel so much more than that, if his Cursed Seal was activated. It was part of why Hinata had sworn to herself that she would never do so. There was enough pain in his life already.

Hinata needed only a glance to make a mental note of the targeted area on Naruto's chest. Looking down, she could easily pick out the spots on Akamaru's back where the most chakra would be released. Sending her own chakra to her fingers, Hinata carefully massaged those areas on Akamaru, being careful not to allow her chakra to come into conflict with his own. Instead, she used hers to gradually coax his to just beneath the surface of his fur. Perhaps because she and Akamaru had done this before, the process only took about twenty seconds, where it had previously been about one minute.

"It's all up to you now, Akamaru. I know you can do it." With that, Hinata removed her hands from the white dog's back.

Akamaru became a red blur as he streaked across the field, slamming into Naruto's chest hard enough to knock the boy flat on his back. The dog landed neatly on Naruto's leg, then promptly collapsed.

No one said anything for nearly a whole minute.

"That was... impressive," Kurenai admitted at last. "I'm sure you're aware of the downside, however."

"Yes," Hinata said softly as she carefully cradled Akamaru in one arm, and checked Naruto's pulse with her free hand. "The jutsu drains a great deal of chakra, and the user takes a considerable amount of damage. I made sure Akamaru and Naruto-kun knew the risks."

Shino stepped forward and stared down at Naruto. Once done with his inspection, he looked at Hinata. "He hit his head on the way down. He'll be out for a while."

Hinata nodded her thanks. She hadn't been able to see that from where she was standing.

Kiba grunted, apparently just as impressed as Kurenai had been. "And here I thought you might make him less colorblind or something."

Hinata lowered her head. "Kiba-kun... I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked in surprise.

"I didn't mean to create a jutsu that would hurt Akamaru."

"Oh, that. Nah, he's fine." Kiba prodded Akamaru roughly with a finger, and the dog came around at once, letting out a pleased bark and wagging his tail. "Told you he wouldn't let you down. What do you call that thing, anyway?"

"We were thinking about 'The Akanata Comet' for now," Hinata admitted with a slight blush, holding the dog closer so he could easily lick her face. "I don't think we'll have many opportunities to use it, though."

"Regardless, you met my requirements," Kurenai informed her. "Both of you did. But I want that insect relay system tested by the next time we meet, so we can figure out what needs work. Dismissed. Oh, and be sure to pick up after yourselves."

Smirking, Kiba reached down and grabbed Naruto's arm, hauling him up over one broad shoulder. "I'd bet anything the smell of ramen would bring him around. You guys in or what?"

"I really should pay for his," Hinata sighed. "He didn't have to agree to help."

"You sure about that, Hinata? I've seen the way he sucks down ramen, and you could be broke before he's even half full."

Hinata smiled. "I'll risk it, Kiba-kun."

He rolled his eyes. "I hope you're not doing this out of some kinda misplaced guilt. If Akamaru had missed and collided with his thick skull, they'd both be dead."

"Kiba-kun!" she gasped.

"Just don't go thinking you owe him anything. It's his own fault for showing off. If he'd been ready to take the hit, he might still be conscious."

"He can't help it. Naruto-kun has to be proud of his own abilities. He's been alone for a very long time."

Kiba snorted. "Pride is one thing, boasting is another. Shino's tough, but you don't see him telling everyone in Konoha that, do you?"

Hinata smiled fondly at Shino before turning back to Kiba. "You boast a good deal, too, Kiba-kun," she reminded him gently. "You let everyone know how strong you are."

"Yeah, well, that's different!" Kiba argued. "I can back it up, and-"

"You don't understand," Hinata interrupted, touching his arm. "I like that about you. Your confidence makes me more confident. But I feel the same way about Naruto-kun. So please, try not to fight with him as much? He helps me in his own way."

Kiba didn't look like he wanted to agree, but noticing Hinata's hand was still on his arm, he merely grunted and adjusted Naruto's weight on his shoulder as he walked off.

"Hope you don't think I'll be that easy to tame," Shino muttered as he passed her, amusement in his tone.

Hinata smiled to herself and looked to the dog in her arms. "What do you think, Akamaru?" she asked.

Akamaru barked at her, his tail wagging excitedly.

"You're right," Hinata giggled. "Should be fun either way!"

**The End.**

Comments on characterization are GREATLY appreciated!

* * *

Endnotes:

I don't know whether or not Gentle Fist can be used in this way, but I imagine if you can block chakra flow, increasing it shouldn't be that much of a stretch with practice. I'm not quite sure if Akamaru's fur only turns red after eating a soldier pill, but if I have my facts right, the pill increases chakra output, and that causes him to turn red. So in theory, the Akanata Comet would have much the same effect.

I know the Sharingan can't copy the Byakugan, so Hinata has no factual reason to fear that. But keep in mind she was nearly kidnapped because of the Byakugan, and you'd be a fool if you didn't think twice about trusting someone nicknamed Copy Ninja Kakashi. I assume the clans don't just tell people what their bloodline limits can and can't do, so no one outside close friends of the Uchihas would be well informed about the Sharingan. Kakashi only refused to watch Hinata activate the Byakugan as a way of humoring her fear.

If Akamaru seemed unusually friendly, I don't plan for him to react that way to anyone else. But I think he and Kiba would largely be of the same mind when it came to Hinata, only Akamaru wouldn't bother to put up a front about liking her. Dogs are honest that way.

Kiba probably never cracks his knuckles, it's just something I've seen another dog warrior do. Of course, that one's half human, half dog demon, so it maybe it doesn't exactly apply.

As you can tell, I'm still getting used to writing for this fandom (especially the vocabulary!). Probably all my attempts will focus on Team 8 and/or the Hyuuga Clan, I always like the quiet ones. Really looking forward to working with Hanabi, once I figure out her personality.

Hope you enjoyed the story! (in case you didn't, I added a little something that will hopefully change your mind, or at least lighten your mood...)

**

* * *

**

**Omake!**

Kiba burped loudly as he finished his ramen bowl. Wiping his mouth, he decided to discuss a recent rumor with his teammates. "Hey, you guys heard anything about the Midnight Streaker?"

"The who?" Hinata asked, looking confused.

"You know, the Midnight Streaker! They say there's a young woman who strips down naked and runs through the village late at night!"

Naruto practically choked in the midst of his twelfth bowl of ramen.

Hinata patted him on the back. "Naruto-kun, are you alright?"

Coughing a bit, Naruto turned to her with watery eyes. "Yeah, just great. Hey, uh... you guys don't really believe that story, do you?"

"It does sound very strange," Hinata admitted doubtfully. "Why would she want to run around naked?"

Kiba shrugged. "Just to show off, I guess. Word has it that she's a real fox."

"What does she look like?" Hinata asked, sounding interested, which was surprising.

"Wish I knew for sure," Kiba sighed heavily. "I heard she's a blonde, but that's about it."

"Ino's a blonde," Naruto offered at once, a strangely desperate look in his eyes.

"Yeah, but it's supposed to be a HOT blonde," Kiba reminded him. He was about to go on, but his eyes widened abruptly, and he ducked just as a flowerpot slammed into the wall just above him, dumping soil all over his head.

"They moved the flower shop across the street yesterday," Shino observed calmly, without looking up from his own bowl.

Three pairs of eyes gazed across the road to see Ino glaring at them, her hands on her hips.

"How did she know?" Kiba muttered, shaking his head and sending soil flying in all directions.

"She probably has really good ears," Naruto suggested. "How else could she always know the latest gossip about that jerk Sasuke?"

Though Hinata was looking at her own ramen at the time, she reached out and pulled Naruto toward her slightly, just enough so that the next flowerpot only clipped his ear before it exploded against the wall.

"OW!" Naruto cried, covering his ear with a hand. "What the heck!"

"You know you can't talk bad about Sasuke when Ino's around," Kiba added with a grin.

Naruto frowned. "Hold on! Hinata, if you saw it coming, how come you didn't pull me completely out of the way?"

Hinata's large, usually peaceful eyes narrowed slightly. "Never insult the object of a girl's affection, Naruto-kun. It's very rude."

Naruto stared at her in shock. "Um... Hinata?" he asked weakly, trying to keep his voice from trembling.

"Yes?" she asked sweetly, smiling warmly at him.

"Uh... nevermind..."


	2. White Dog Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I'd have a much better idea of what I'm doing.

Notes: This starts off as another take on what could have happened in the Forest of Death, had a different choice been made by a different team. And so there's no confusion, "White Dog Night" refers to two things: 1) this series, and 2) this chapter. So if you see the phrase "Companion to White Dog Night" in another story, it's referring generally to this series, not just to this chapter.

Summary: When tragedy strikes in the Forest of Death, Hinata finds herself bound to Akamaru. But to prevent the dog from following his master, Hinata must find her own strength, even if it means abandoning everything she knows.

**Warning**: As you might have guessed, there's character death.

**White Dog Night**

**Part 2: White Dog Night**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

There was something warm and wet repeatedly flicking against her cheek, but Hyuuga Hinata did not wish to open her eyes and find out what it might be. She was intensely afraid that looking would only reveal some horrible creature about to bite her head off, and she didn't want the last thing she saw to be the inside of its mouth.

Of course, compared to the last thing she had seen, maybe she was better off taking her chances here and now.

* * *

She remembered that Akamaru had picked up a familiar scent: Naruto's. But that was expected, since Akamaru knew the scent of everyone that Kiba was on a first name basis with.

Kiba had been dead set against trying to take a scroll from Team 7, though, if only because he knew Hinata would be useless in a fight against Naruto. Sakura probably wouldn't have taken advantage of that, but Sasuke definitely would have, and Hinata's Byakugan made her too valuable to lose, especially since there was one other in the forest who also had it (and he would gladly attack Hinata).

Shino had pointed out that even if they chose not to engage Team 7 directly, tracking them might be for the best. Team 7 would run into the forest's many dangers first, leaving a relatively safe (or safer, at least) path for anyone behind them. Kiba agreed, and had gotten Hinata to do the same by pointing out she'd be close to her beloved Naruto.

Despite how unpopular Naruto had made himself during the early stages of the chunin exam, none of them had really expected anyone to be gunning for him as hard as someone apparently was. That would prove to be their greatest mistake.

The gigantic snakes had come seemingly from everywhere at once, and it was only Akamaru's warning bark that had saved them from the initial attack. But the snakes were much faster and stronger than they had any right to be, and that only made them more fearsome to Hinata, who was scrambling desperately and trying not to scream, since it would attract even more unwanted attention. The only thing going through her mind at the time was that if Naruto, her personal hero, hadn't survived this, what chance did she stand?

Kiba had warned her against thinking of Naruto during a mission, because it inevitably caused Hinata to stop, blush, and play with her hands nervously. She understood that now, since the thought of Naruto, lying on the forest floor, his life slowly ebbing away, was nearly paralyzing for her. It was also very distracting, because the next thing she knew, one of the snakes had appeared in front of her, its huge yellow eyes locked on Hinata's trembling form.

It had been one of the most terrifying experiences of Hinata's short life. She had actually seen herself, in her mind's eye, being eaten alive by the snake, screaming and struggling helplessly as she slid down its slippery, contracting throat. This image, along with the previous one of Naruto, only served to effectively lock her every muscle in place, leaving her easy prey for the snakes.

Just as the snake reared back and dove at her, there had been a panicked cry of "Hinata!" Then something that felt like a brick wall had knocked her out of the way, sending her tumbling ungracefully to the ground.

It had been Kiba, of course, using all his strength in a desperate attempt to keep the snake's mouth closed. His powerful arms had slammed the snake's jaws shut, and he was pressing down on them with all of his might.

Hinata had never been more happy to see him... that is, until she noticed the snake closing in behind him. "Kiba-kun, behind you!" she'd screamed.

Kiba had been so surprised to hear her speak so loudly, he nearly didn't hear what she said. He would pay the ultimate price for his hesitation, but even then, he had not gone down easily. He managed to jump up and twist around in mid-air, even as both snakes came at him, their fangs dripping with deadly intent. Their jaws snapped shut on each of his arms, but with a roar of pain and rage, Kiba had literally ripped his arms free, leaving large, blood-soaked dents in the roofs of the snakes' mouths. Yet the gashes in his arms, and the venom inside them, were clearly slowing Kiba down.

This was not the case for the snakes. Kiba only had time to turn around before a third one plowed into him with its head lowered.

* * *

The warm, wet sensation on her cheek persisted, followed by a brush of fur and an all too familiar whine. Hinata slowly opened her eyes to find Akamaru an inch from her face. Apparently satisfied that she was awake, the white dog collapsed to the ground, exhausted from his efforts to wake her.

"Akamaru," Hinata whispered, reaching out to carefully pet the dog's head. "Where's Kiba-kun? And Shino-kun?"

At the mention of his master's name, Akamaru whined softly and miserably covered his eyes with his paws.

There was movement at the edge of Hinata's field of vision, and she turned her head to see Shino slowly sitting up next to her. His black glasses were missing, and she almost didn't recognize him because of that. But then she noticed a rather large amount of insects marching up and down his arms, almost protectively.

"Shino-kun?" Hinata asked softly. "Are you hurt?"

He blinked a few times before shaking his head slightly.

As she could see dark patches of blood soaking through his pants, Hinata took this to mean he wasn't seriously hurt, but she was still concerned about him.

Especially if they were the only two left.

Hinata forced that thought from her mind and pushed herself up to her knees. She crawled over to Shino and began to apply some of her rapid healing herbal balm to all the wounds she could find. If Shino minded, he was too tired to say so.

Once she was done, Hinata found she could no longer keep her silence. "Shino-kun, did you see... is Kiba-kun...?"

Shino looked as if he didn't want to answer her, at first. Finally, he shook his head again. "You don't want to see him now, if he's still how I found him."

"I have to know," Hinata insisted, placing her hand over his. "Please, Shino-kun."

"He was stuck halfway in a snake's mouth, but the snake was already dead. Fangs locked shut."

"Was he...?"

He nodded slightly, his expression grim. "Alive, from what I could see. Not enjoying it, though."

"Which way?" Hinata asked simply.

* * *

Kiba had managed to free himself from the snake's mouth, but all it meant was that he hadn't died with the crushing weight of the snake's jaw clamped around him. He'd made it as far as a nearby tree, where he'd propped himself up, as if taking a nap. His eyes were closed, and he looked surprisingly peaceful, all things considered.

"Kiba-kun," Hinata murmured sadly, tears in her eyes. She carefully lifted his head and placed a tender kiss on his cheek. It was then that she noticed his headband was missing. A search of the area turned up nothing, and Hinata's heart sank even further. It was bad enough that Kiba had died in this awful place, but now she couldn't even lay him to rest with all the respect he deserved. It wouldn't be enough to replace his headband with her own; Akamaru would know the scents didn't match up.

Hinata was still trying to figure out what to do when Shino appeared, his eyes once again hidden behind his black glasses. Without a word, he carefully picked up Kiba's body, and waited for Hinata to begin following him.

"His headband, Shino-kun," Hinata reported. "I can't find it."

Shino closed his eyes briefly, even as several insects scattered from his body. After a moment, he shook his head. "It is gone. We'll worry about it later. The body is more important."

Suppressing a whimper at his choice of words, Hinata followed Shino back to where they'd left Akamaru. The dog hadn't moved at all in the few minutes they'd been gone, and looked more depressed than ever. Hinata picked up Akamaru, and without thinking, nearly placed him on her head. She paused, however, feeling Shino's gaze on her, and merely cradled the dog in her arms instead as they made their way out of the forest.

* * *

When they returned to Konoha, Shino insisted on being the one to take Kiba's body to his clan. When Hinata asked what she could do to help, he simply told her, "Go home." She knew Shino well enough to know he wasn't being cruel, but the words still felt harsh to her.

Hinata could feel practically everyone's eyes on her as she headed home. They were probably looking at Akamaru, too, but at the moment, Hinata couldn't really tell the difference. After all, more than likely Akamaru would be hers now. Shino already had his insects, and Akamaru had always preferred Hinata (she secretly figured it was because Shino might have fleas under his command).

Not surprisingly, the Hyuuga compound was nearly empty when Hinata got there. Her father and the elders were no doubt helping with the exam in the Forest of Death. There was a time when the Uchihas would have provided such security, but in the past few years the Hyuuga Clan had been taking on more responsibilities within Konoha. But she couldn't help fearing that Kiba's death wouldn't be seen as a matter for concern.

Hinata had just reached her room when she sensed familiar, powerful chakra: that of her younger sister, Hanabi. With a feeling of dread welling up in her throat, Hinata held Akamaru a little tighter and slowly slid the door open.

Hanabi was sitting on Hinata's bed, holding a small glass jar. The girl's pale eyes were trained on the jar so intently, Hinata would've sworn that she was using the Byakugan, if not for the absence of prominent veins around her eyes.

After a few moments had passed in silence, Hanabi's steady gaze finally moved up to acknowledge Hinata.

"Oneesan. I thought you might be dead," Hanabi said coolly.

Hinata flinched at the ease with which her sister spoke the words. Why was it that everyone in her family that she felt anything for hated her?

If Hanabi noticed her sister's discomfort, she didn't show it. "I came in here to see if there was anything worth inheriting, and... I found this."

Hanabi held up the jar, and Hinata could now see a black beetle inside it, not moving at all. She was only slightly comforted by the thought that if Hanabi had already killed it, she wouldn't have bothered keeping it in the jar.

The younger girl eyed her sister carefully. "Should I kill it?" she murmured, almost playfully.

Hinata swallowed hard. "Please don't, Hanabi," she whispered.

"Why not?" Hanabi asked at once. "It does not belong inside. It is an intruder."

"Then I'll take it outside," Hinata offered.

"We deal far more harshly with human intruders. Why should this creature be more deserving of what little mercy I have to offer?"

Hinata closed her eyes. "Because... it belongs to a friend."

Clearly surprised, Hanabi lowered the jar to her lap. "Then why is it here, with you?"

"For protection," Hinata admitted softly.

The younger girl smirked in disbelief. "Who would be foolish enough to think you capable of protecting anything?"

"I'm... not the one protecting," Hinata muttered, staring at the floor.

Hanabi had always been very clever, and the unspoken words beyond her sister's lips were easy to grasp.

"Tell me, oneesan," she said softly. "Who could protect you better than your family?"

"Can you tell me, Hanabi, who in this family would willingly?" Hinata asked sadly.

Hanabi said nothing to this. She didn't need to.

Hinata could see her sister was working out the answer in her mind. It wasn't a hard question, after all.

There was no answer. Not anymore. There was a time when Neji would've been expected to lay down his life for Hinata, but no more. Not when Hinata had turned out to be the disappointment, and Neji had displayed the prowess befitting a true Hyuuga heir. Not when Hanabi was currently showing more skill than her sister ever had. Not so long as there was another, better choice for an heir around.

"Do you understand now, why I don't feel safe here, as you do?" Hinata asked.

"You could feel safe... if you were strong," Hanabi replied. "Instead, you depend on others to be strong for you, while you remain weak. Even now, look how tightly you clutch onto that mutt, as if he could save you."

Hanabi's attitude toward her had always been cold and even cruel at times, but Hinata had gotten used to it. Today, though, something in Hanabi's tone made her blood boil, and she could feel her lips curling into something of a snarl. "I will save him," she growled. "And you will not interfere."

Perhaps Hanabi was so surprised by Hinata's reaction that she couldn't respond, at first. Or maybe she was laughing on the inside. Either way, she calmly put the jar down and stood up. Hanabi stared at Hinata for a few more seconds before moving to the door.

Hinata's shoulders slumped, and she suddenly felt drained from dealing with her sister. She was also curious as to where that sudden outburst had come from. She'd never spoken to Hanabi that way. She'd never spoken to anyone that way.

"Neji-oniisan was here."

Hinata froze upon hearing her sister's words.

"He was looking for you," Hanabi continued, knowing she had Hinata's full attention. "I told him you hadn't come home yet. I assume he'll be back later."

"Oh," was all Hinata could think to say.

"He didn't seem angry," Hanabi noted. "Which was odd."

"Does... he hate you, too?" Hinata whispered.

"If he does, he's not as obvious about it as he is with you. But then, you are weak, as well as being the heir. Of course he hates you. Not only is he expected to protect you, but you actually need him to."

"Do you think he would hate you if you were the heir?"

"Perhaps. But I would still make him respect me. Unlike you, I would not hesitate to activate his Cursed Seal. It's there for a reason."

"You... you didn't, did you?" Hinata asked fearfully as she turned to face her sister.

Hanabi shook her head. "There was no reason to at the time. He was only looking for you, and once he found out you weren't here, he left." She stared at Hinata curiously. "What do you think he wants?"

"Probably to blame me for what happened today, but he doesn't need to, really," Hinata sighed, closing her eyes. "I already blame myself..." She half-expected Hanabi to agree with her, but when there was no response, she opened her eyes to find her sister had already left the room.

* * *

It quickly became apparent that Hinata was not going to get any sleep that night. Aside from the fact that she was seeing Kiba's body nearly every time she closed her eyes, Akamaru had not responded to any offers of food or comfort. He would lie on the floor unless she picked him up, and even when she petted him, he didn't move.

Hinata had no idea what she was supposed to do. The Forest of Death was kept locked up when not in use, and even if she wanted to go back for Kiba's headband when the exam was over, what chance would she stand, assuming she could even convince Shino to go with her?

"I'm sorry I'm so useless, Akamaru," she muttered. "If I could have just done something, he'd still be here..."

Again, there was no reply, and Hinata took that to mean the dog agreed with her. She brushed the start of tears from her eyes, and happened to spot the jar Hanabi had left on her bed. She reached over and twisted the top off, tilting the jar so that the big, black beetle inside could march onto her waiting hand.

"Shino-kun," she whispered, sending chakra into her palm. "Are you awake?"

It had been a long time since she'd last used the insect relay system (Kiba had thought of it, she recalled with a pang of guilt), but Shino would've said something if it were no longer operational.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the beetle flapped its wings rapidly, producing an odd, buzzing parody of Shino's voice.

"Yes."

"How did it go with Kiba-kun's family?" she asked softly.

"As well as could be expected. I told them Akamaru was with you, and they agreed that it was probably for the best. I doubt he ever told you this, but I believe you may have been Kiba's closest friend."

Hinata shut her eyes tightly. "Please... don't say that."

"As you wish," he replied after a short pause. "Has there been any change in the dog?"

"He's not eating or moving at all. He'll die at this rate, Shino-kun. I don't know how to help him. What should I do?"

"I believe you will have to find the missing headband. By all rights, it should go to Akamaru, and it will most likely improve his mood, to have something of Kiba's. Unfortunately, I suspect it is no longer in the forest."

Hinata nearly dropped the beetle. "What? But... where is it, then?"

"Someone has taken it. Who or why, I cannot say. But we will know soon enough, as the person is probably one of our fellow genin."

"I don't understand, Shino-kun. Who here would take it, and not turn it in? Who would want to dishonor Kiba-kun?"

When Shino answered, he sounded tired. "I am not certain it is him they meant to dishonor, as they did not disturb his body. I will consider the matter further. Keep your eyes open, Hinata. What you seek may be closer than you realize."

With that, the beetle stopped flapping its wings, and the connection faded.

Sighing softly, Hinata held the beetle over her nightstand and gently coaxed it off with a finger. Shino had taught her that most bugs detested confinement, and he had loaned her this beetle with the understanding that she would allow it to roam freely around her room. Apparently this particular beetle was very intelligent; Hinata could never find it unless she needed it, and so far Hanabi was the only other person who even knew about it. More than likely, Hanabi wouldn't tell anyone about the beetle, but Akamaru was another story entirely.

"I don't care what anyone says, Akamaru," Hinata whispered, stroking the white dog's head. "I won't lose you, too. From now on, it's going to be you and me. I'll take care of you, I promise."

Again, there was no response, but Hinata refused to lose hope. She understood that Akamaru was distraught over the loss of Kiba, as she was, but in the end, they would each have the other. Eventually, Akamaru would remember their friendship, and once he did, she would never fail him again.

Hinata finally fell asleep with that promise in mind, cradling the silent white dog in her arms.

* * *

Stillness reigned in the Forest of Death this night, but for some reason, she was not afraid.

Even when she recognized that the path was leading her to where she'd found Kiba's body, she was not afraid.

Somehow, she knew what she would find even before she got there.

Akamaru whined softly in her arms to be put down, and the instant she did so, he ran like the wind, barking excitedly.

She stepped around a tree just in time to see Akamaru leaping onto Kiba's chest and licking his face eagerly.

Kiba was dead. Hinata knew this, and yet...

And yet tears of joy still fell from her eyes when Kiba's head lifted, and his hand came up pet Akamaru's back. "Kiba-kun," she breathed as he slowly got up, that familiar smile on his face as he lifted Akamaru to sit on his shoulder.

Then his dark eyes turned to her, and his smile widened. Hinata's heart was pounding as he came closer, knowing this couldn't be real, but perfectly willing to go along with it for as long as it lasted. If this was the only way she could be with Kiba now, it would have to be enough.

She didn't resist at all when one of his strong arms slid around her waist, her eyes drifting shut as she felt one of his large hands on the back of her head. He drew her close enough where she could smell the mixed scent of sweat and forest surrounding him. His lips brushed her ear, perhaps accidentally, and the resulting shivers that raced down her spine made Hinata wonder if this really was a dream, because it felt so very real.

"I'm sorry to torture you like this, Hinata," Kiba said in a soft tone that was unusual for him, "but I have a favor to ask of you."

"You want me to look after Akamaru?" she guessed, her words muffled against his jacket.

"No, I knew you'd do that, anyway," he confessed with a grin. "What I need you to do is going to be a lot harder than that. But I want you to promise that you'll do it, even before I tell you what it is. Will you?"

Hinata didn't even pause to think about it, something that normally might have bothered her. "I'd do anything for you, Kiba-kun."

"Wish I'd known that sooner," Kiba chuckled. "Well, here it is. I can be with you, for as long as you need me, but there's something I'll need first. You know what I mean, right?"

Thinking back to her conversation with Shino, she nodded slightly.

"I thought you would. And here's the hard part: someone you know has it. You have to get it back for me."

"Who?" Hinata asked.

"Don't know. I know it's someone who shouldn't have it, and that they're not going to just hand it back. You'll need Akamaru's help to find them, and after that, it's up to you. I know you can do it."

"Kiba-kun... there's something I have to know," Hinata pleaded. "Why did you save me? Why weren't you fighting with Akamaru like you always do?"

His embrace tightened around her. "Isn't it obvious? I had to protect what was precious to me. If anything ever happened to one or both of you, I'd never forgive myself. It was my choice, Hinata. I knew... I knew all of us wouldn't make it. I could see that right away. And I couldn't let you be the one."

"I... I'm precious? To you?" Hinata whispered, her cheeks flushing.

"What, don't believe me?" Kiba asked teasingly, smiling as he held her at arm's length. "I picked you to appear to, didn't I? Even entrusted my best buddy to you. Hell, gave my life for you, and you still need more?"

"I'm sorry!" Hinata apologized at once. "I didn't mean to sound-"

Kiba pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't be sorry, Hinata. And don't ever blame yourself for what happened. I would've done what I did even if you were stronger than me. I needed to protect you. I still do, and I always will."

Hinata reached up and gently grasped his hand, staring into his black eyes. "Kiba-kun... I lo-"

"Don't," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "Don't say that because you think I need to hear it. Only say it when you have no doubt in your mind and heart that it's true. If you're ever ready to tell me, I'll hear you. But for now... just believe me when I say that I'll be there, whenever you need me."

"I do. But Akamaru needs you now, and-"

"Just give him a little more time, Hinata. He knows what I expect from him, and he'll bounce back when he needs to. You'll see, it'll be like I never left."

Hinata shut her eyes tightly, not wanting him to see the disbelief she felt in that moment. Kiba was dead... and she would never feel like she had when he was alive, no matter how happy she might be in the future. What did happiness matter, anyway, in a world without him? Not wanting to lose him again, she clung to his jacket desperately, and was thankful when his only response was to hold her tighter.

* * *

The familiar scent of Kiba roused Hinata the next day, and for an instant, she thought she was still dreaming, wrapped in his comforting embrace. Then she looked down, and saw that Kiba's gray jacket was draped over her body. There were no rips or stains, as there had been when she'd last seen it, so someone must have gone to great lengths to repair it so quickly.

Hinata carefully folded the jacket and put it to the side. She had just gotten out of bed when she noticed that Akamaru was gone. Before she had the chance to panic, however, the white dog slipped in through her slightly open door, a thin strip of meat dangling from his mouth.

"Good morning, Akamaru," she greeted, trying her best to sound casual.

Akamaru stared at her as he finished his meal quietly. Once done, he padded over to her, brushing briefly against her ankle before settling down on the floor. He clearly wasn't in the mood to do more than that, but at least he was eating and moving again, and that was enough for Hinata. She would worry about whose breakfast he had stolen later. Right now, she needed to visit Kiba's family. Facing them didn't seem as intimidating an idea anymore, and that was probably due entirely to the dream she'd had last night.

Hinata was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't notice she had a visitor until the person spoke.

"Hinata-sama."

She looked up at once, more out of surprise than anything else. "Oh... Neji-niisan. What are you doing here?" It was a valid question, as Neji had never entered her room before. In retrospect, there was also a fairly good chance that he wasn't allowed there, or at least had no desire to go there until now.

His eyebrows raised, as if he weren't expecting her to sound so calm with him in the same room. "I heard about Inuzuka," he answered a few seconds later, staring intently at her face. "I thought I would come by to... say a few words."

"That was very responsible of you." The sound of Hinata's own voice made her hesitate. She hadn't meant for that to come out so unfeeling, because now it seemed like she didn't appreciate Neji's visit. "Did you know him?"

If her tone bothered Neji, he didn't show it. "I had heard of him. Is it true that he saved your life?"

"It is," Hinata replied simply.

Neji began to say something else, but his gaze moved past her. "Isn't that his dog?"

Hinata turned to look at Akamaru, who was, surprisingly, on his feet once again, his stance tense and his teeth exposed as he began to growl loudly.

"Akamaru? What is it?" Hinata asked with concern. She couldn't think of anything that had changed since she'd spoken to the dog a few minutes ago...

Except Neji was here now.

Alarms went off in Hinata's head as she turned back to her cousin. He hadn't moved, and didn't seem too bothered by Akamaru's hostility... but he definitely wasn't taking his eyes off of the white dog, either.

"Neji-niisan... did you ever meet Kiba?" she asked softly. "Did you ever speak to him, I mean?"

He blinked and finally shifted his gaze back to her. "Once. I don't think he heard me, though."

"What did you say?"

Neji's lips flattened into a thin line. "If you must know, I told him that he had made a mistake."

Hinata took a deep breath before extending her hand. "Tell me... was that before or after you took his headband?"

He smirked. "Before, Hinata-sama. I made sure he had my opinion before I took it."

"Give it back," Hinata demanded.

"I'm afraid I can't," Neji replied coolly. "I believe he made the wrong choice, and that it ultimately resulted in his death. You might say I have a theory on the matter."

"And that is?"

"He wasn't the one that should've died. By all rights, the weakest team member would've been the only one to die. Had you ever defeated either of your teammates in combat?"

The answer was no, but that wasn't entirely Hinata's fault. Kiba and Shino had only ever seemed interested in sparring with each other. The few times Kurenai had made them pair off with Hinata, they'd handed her quick and largely painless defeats. Kiba had eventually admitted that he didn't like the idea of hitting a girl, or at least not one that looked like Hinata. She had never really been sure what he'd meant by that.

"I assumed as much," Neji commented, taking her silence for an answer. "The reasonable conclusion is that you should be dead, and Inuzuka should be alive. Instead he made a huge, but completely worthless sacrifice. He might as well be buried in an unmarked brave to save him the final shame of having given his life for yours."

"You're wrong," Hinata whispered, clenching her fists. "Kiba-kun always intended to save me. It's just the way he was. And I was worth it. He told me so!"

"Then prove it," Neji challenged. "If you would have Inuzuka's honor restored, then you may try to take back his headband. If you succeed, so be it. But if you fail, my theory will be proven correct, and you will have to live with the fact that he threw his life away for nothing."

Hinata wasn't sure what to think. Part of her wanted to hate Neji for what he had done. But every time she'd tried to hate him in the past, she had failed, because she understood that his suffering had occurred at the hands of the Hyuuga main house, which she was currently a member of, and would ultimately be responsible for. This was no different, because while taking Kiba's headband was disrespectful, Neji seemed to have done it with testing Hinata as his main priority. She could still recall Shino's comment that whoever had taken the headband hadn't been interested in damaging Kiba's dignity, and perhaps this was Neji's way of seeing that Kiba's sacrifice was indeed seen as honorable.

But this was not just about Kiba's honor, or even Hinata's own. Hinata knew that she couldn't refuse this challenge, not just because she was heir to the Hyuuga Clan, but because she was Kiba's friend. If she failed now, Akamaru was better off going back to Kiba's family, and that was simply out of the question. Hinata had promised both Kiba and Akamaru that she would care for the dog, and she had every intention of doing so.

If Neji thought he was going to stand in the way of that promise, then she would just have to go straight through him.

* * *

Neji had gone over the conversation beforehand several times in his mind, and somehow, the part about Hinata growling at him simply hadn't occurred. He hadn't even known that Hinata could growl, much less that she would sound so much like Akamaru that it was hard to tell who was doing it louder.

But it wasn't even the growling that had caught him off guard. It was the look in her eyes, and more specifically, her eyes themselves. As a Hyuuga, her eyes had always been a milky shade of lavender, with the pupils only visible under close inspection. Now, for some strange reason, he could clearly make out her pupils, because they were black, beady, and quivering in what could only be either rage or madness.

He never would manage to work out which one it was, in the end.

Hinata literally flung herself forward with little warning, her fingers hooked as she made two wild swipes at him, missing both times as he slipped out of her range, but only just.

Neji didn't bother with a counterattack. There was only so much space to work with, and though he hated to admit it, he would need more to consistently avoid Hinata's blows if she was going to fight like this. With that in mind, he turned and sprinted out of the room, heading towards the gardens. He could hear Hinata's surprisingly quick footfalls just behind him, and wondered if had underestimated her somewhat.

By the time Neji actually set foot on grass, he could practically feel Hinata's breath on the back of his neck. He spun around as he lowered himself into a crouch, and sure enough, Hinata went sailing over his head in a rather desperate lunge. Despite that, she curled up her body and hit the ground rolling, easily springing back to her feet an instant later.

No matter how many of his expectations she had already shattered, Neji knew what would happen next. Hinata would activate the Byakugan, as would he. Then she would depend on Gentle Fist taijutsu for her attacks, even though he knew it's inner workings better than she could ever hope to. It was the only fighting style she knew, after all.

Amazingly, Hinata did neither of these things. Instead, with another feral growl, she rushed him again, swinging her arms like a thing possessed. Neji was so surprised that he only had time to block the heavier blows with his forearms, and those were landing with nearly bone-jarring impact, which shouldn't have been possible for Hinata without the aid of the Byakugan.

The fight wasn't going at all as Neji had predicted, and there seemed to be only way to regain control at this point. He blocked one more of Hinata's hits, then struck her midsection with the Eight Trigrams Empty Palm technique. Hinata's eyes widened in pain as her body was sent flying straight into a nearby tree, which cracked under the impact. But it was Hinata who fell heavily to the ground, panting loudly as she slowly forced herself to attempt to rise again.

Neji used the break in the fight to activate his Byakugan, and was horrified by what he saw. In that first instant, he would've sworn that he was watching Inuzuka Kiba struggling to get up, so similar was the stance and chakra. But closer inspection revealed that it was indeed Hinata, though she had undergone some very drastic changes since he'd last looked at her this way. No, 'drastic changes' didn't even begin to describe what Neji was seeing. Hinata had been transformed.

Something clicked in Neji's brain. "The Four Legs Technique," he muttered softly. "But that's Inuzuka's... so how does she know it? And when did she use it?"

There was little time to consider the matter further. Hinata was back on her feet, so to speak. Her feet were planted firmly on the ground, as were her hands, eyes flashing with malice as she hissed at Neji like some sort of strange jungle cat. He was still trying to make sense of the odd parody when she sprang high into the air, displaying a speed that was unheard of for her so far. It was so captivating a sight that Neji nearly forgot she was aiming at him.

Hinata landed just in front of him, using her downward momentum to deliver two powerful, vicious swipes. The first sliced open Neji's left cheek, while the second left a gaping, diagonal rip in his shirt, spinning him around several times in the process. During one of those revolutions, he felt his pockets being torn away as well.

Though very much disoriented, Neji had enough wits left to try and reverse his predicament with an Eight Trigram Palms Great Heavenly Spin. Before he could, however, he realized that Hinata was no longer attacking, and that her chakra usage had suddenly decreased dramatically. When his head cleared, he finally spotted her several feet away, sprawled out on the grass as if she'd fainted. Clutched tightly in her right hand was Inuzuka's headband.

With a dissatisfied grunt, Neji began to turn away. That is, until he heard a particularly annoying sound. It was Inuzuka's dog, of course, barking excitedly as he bounded into the gardens and stopped in front of Hinata, where he proceeded to bark even louder, as if he were trying to wake her up.

After a moment of this, Hinata slowly raised her head and smiled weakly. "I have something for you," she whispered, carefully draping the headband around Akamaru's neck. "There. It's yours now."

Akamaru let out another joyful bark as he began eagerly licking her tired face, his tail wagging like mad.

Shaking his head, Neji winced slightly at the thought that was currently running through his mind. It persisted, though, and he slowly walked towards his fallen cousin, mindful that the rip in his shirt was bloody around the edges.

"It would seem that you have disproved my theory, Hinata-sama," he said quietly. With that, he offered her his hand.

Hinata hesitantly reached for his hand, and gasped when he hauled her up none too gently, to the point where she stumbled into his chest, drawing a slight hiss of pain from him. Her eyes widened with worry as she looked up into his face. "Neji-niisan... I didn't mean to-"

"I certainly hope you did, or this entire exercise would've been pointless," he interrupted firmly.

"Oh," was her soft reply as she looked down.

Neji sighed and turned his back on her. "Perhaps Inuzuka knew what he was doing after all, when he gave his life for yours. But he should've taught you how to use his technique more effectively."

"Um... what technique?" Hinata asked slowly.

"Forget I said anything," Neji murmured, walking away before he changed his mind. He hadn't gotten far before Hinata called out to him one last time.

"Thank you, Neji-niisan! For everything!"

"Foolish girl," he whispered to himself, fingering the deep cuts in his cheek. "I always thought your ignorance would be the death of you. But it just might save you yet."

**End of Part 2**

* * *

Endnotes:

I know, I know. You're going to tell me that there's no way Hinata should be able to instinctively use Kiba's Four Legs Technique. Well, I look at it this way: most of Kiba's attacks are nowhere near as effective without Akamaru, so actually having a dog must be a big part of his ability to perform them. Hinata now owns the very same dog, with Kiba's blessing (take that how you will).

The main reason I'm using English attack names is that I, personally, don't like to stop reading every few sentences in order to look up an attack in Japanese. On the other hand, I'm trying to avoid using some of the very odd names that Viz came up whenever possible. So you won't be hearing "Evil Eye" from me (sounds way too biased). Although, some Japanese terms pop up so often in Naruto that it's hard NOT to pick them up, (Byakugan, for example) so those I would use, with the understanding that they're terribly easy to figure out/find.

Keep in mind that Neji's goal here wasn't to beat Hinata into submission, which is why he didn't do so. He merely wanted her to prove that she was worthy of Kiba's sacrifice by getting the headband back, which she did. Basically it was a ninja game of Keep Away... not unlike Kakashi's survival test, now that I think about it. Just replace the bells with Kiba's headband.

Working within the chuunin exam is tricky. You can assume that Team 8 never completed the second stage, so Neji would've defeated some other opponent in the first battle round. As for the second round, that hasn't occurred yet.

Yes, those were Orochimaru's snakes. He didn't want to be interrupted while he dealt with Team 7.


	3. A Single Step

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, it would make Hinata sad.

Notes: The title of this chapter is taken from a famous quote, which I happened to hear on "Xaiolin Showdown": "Even a thousand mile journey begins with but a single step." Master Fong can be deep, for a guy who admittedly gets his wisdom from a day calendar.

This chapter will have many parts devoted to other people's perceptions of Hinata, in order to better show how she's changing.

**A Single Step**

**Part 3 of White Dog Night**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

Uzumaki Naruto yawned loudly as he jogged into the clearing, making no attempt at all to be polite and cover his mouth. As far as he was concerned, anyone who asked him to get up this early had to take the good (his even agreeing to show up) with the bad (any morning breath he happened to bring along with him). He'd wanted to do this later, but for the first time that he could remember, Hinata had disagreed with him, and insisted on an earlier start time.

That was just one of many little changes that Naruto had noticed in the Hyuuga girl as of late. Just the fact that he was noticing her at all was a big change, really; usually she was so quiet that he hardly ever knew when she was around. And while Hinata hadn't gotten any louder, she had begun talking a bit more, especially when it concerned something she needed. According to her, she needed Naruto to train her.

He wasn't sure why she'd chosen him, but the idea of someone hanging onto his every word had of course been appealing. Had it been anyone else, Naruto probably would have refused. But while every other genin (aside from Sakura, anyway) was a potential rival, Hinata was different. She had never expressed any interest in competing with him, and in fact, Naruto was starting to think of her as one of the few trusted friends he had in Konoha.

On the other hand, if she wanted to meet with him this early in the morning, he just might have to find some friends who could appreciate the value of sleeping in.

Naruto was glad to see that Hinata had already arrived as he came closer. She was seated on a nearby log, her tan jacket unzipped just enough so that he could see Akamaru's head and front paws poking out of it. Seeing the dog again reminded Naruto that Hinata still hadn't said anything about her late teammate, Inuzuka Kiba. He thought maybe she was still a bit sensitive about the whole thing, and he'd kept his questions to himself. That only made Naruto more curious though, and he'd tried talking to Hinata's other teammate last week, but talking to Aburame Shino was truly an exercise in futility if he didn't feel like talking back, which was pretty often.

Hinata looked up as she heard his footsteps, and a warm smile instantly spread across her face, complete with a rather cute blush. "Hi, Naruto-kun," she said quietly, meeting his eyes for a moment before looking down to feed Akamaru the last of what appeared to be a cinnamon bun.

"Remind me again why we had to do this now?" Naruto asked, stretching his arms.

"There is something... I need to take care of later on today," Hinata replied mysteriously.

Naruto gave her an odd look, and sensing his steady gaze, she blushed again and ducked her head. "Well, okay. So what is it you want me to teach you, exactly?"

"I want to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

"Oh, that? Sure, no problem." He'd actually been afraid that she might want to learn the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu instead, and he didn't want Hinata to get hurt trying to master it as quickly as he had. "Any reason why you want to learn that?"

Hinata seemed to grow nervous at his questioning. "It just seems like a very useful skill to have," she answered evasively.

"Yeah, it is," Naruto admitted. "No offense, but I never thought I'd meet a girl who wanted to learn it."

Normally, Hinata might've blushed at such a comment. Today, though, she just made do with a small nod, a solemn look on her face. "I-I just want to be ready. In case... something happens."

"Hmm. Good idea." Naruto nodded a few times, doing his best to look wise. "A real ninja is prepared for any situation. Hey, maybe I'd better teach you more than just that one jutsu, just in case. We want you to be as safe as possible, right?"

"Right," Hinata agreed, her cheeks flushing.

* * *

Most of his peers, and quite a few adults, considered Hyuuga Neji to be a natural when it came to deep meditation.

Of course, some things were just harder to block out than others.

"Oh, get over it, Lee! I don't care how cute you say Sakura is, if she can't hold her own in a real fight, you need to find someone stronger!"

"You mustn't talk that way about my beautiful Sakura-chan, Tenten! She is the Loveliest Flower of Konoha!"

Neji's left eye twitched irritably as his two teammates continued to argue about whether Sakura was worth all the time and effort Lee had devoted to winning her heart. Honestly, he didn't know why they bothered. Sakura tolerated, and perhaps even enjoyed Lee's attention to a certain point, but she, like nearly every girl in the village (Tenten being an outspoken exception) was hopelessly in love with Uchiha Sasuke.

And the mere fact that Neji even knew that told him that he needed to put a stop to this gossip before they wasted any more valuable time they should've been using to train. With a frustrated sigh, he pushed off from the tree he was leaning against, determined to change the subject.

He sensed the familiar chakra moments before Hinata stepped into the clearing, her face surprisingly calm, all things considered. Tucked inside her jacket was Akamaru, who Neji hadn't seen her without since their last encounter. The very sight of the headband around the dog's neck stirred up feelings of embarrassment and anger in him. True, Hinata had taken the headband back on her own, even if her methods had been a little unconventional. Yet just the thought that she had been able to wound him bothered Neji. Even now, three noticeable scars remained on his cheek (why he hadn't gotten them healed, he still didn't know) from where her nails (claws at the time, actually) had scratched him.

Tenten and Lee continued their argument, oblivious to Hinata's arrival. Neji would've preferred to keep it that way, but Hinata screwed up her courage and walked towards them. The idea that she'd become that confident, based on the one victory she could hold over his head, only made him angrier. If she thought that single moment would change things between them, she would find out that she was very much mistaken.

"Neji-niisan," Hinata said quietly, stopping a respectful distance away from him. "May I speak with you?"

"I'm busy," Neji replied at once.

She blinked slowly, her gaze shifting briefly to Tenten and Lee before moving back to his face. "I'm afraid it is an urgent matter."

"That makes no difference to me, Hinata-sama."

Hinata's cheeks flushed with embarrassed frustration, and they only darkened in color when Tenten and Lee stopped arguing and turned to look at her curiously. She took a deep breath and trained her eyes on him again. "Neji-niisan... please. This is-"

Without a word, Neji simply turned his back on her. He noted the surprised looks on the faces of his teammates, but said nothing. Not liking Hinata was one thing, but being this rude to her face, in front of them, was quite another.

Suddenly, blinding pain erupted inside Neji's skull, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground, writhing like a dying animal. He had never in his life felt anything so excruciating as this. Through the red haze, he could just barely hear Tenten screaming his name.

The pain cut off just as abruptly as it had come, and Neji found himself staring up at the stricken face of his cousin. He had never seen Hinata look so guilty before, and then he knew why.

She had activated his Cursed Seal.

Shock, fear, and outrage warred for control in his heart, and while they were still battling it out, he noticed that Tenten had most definitely decided on outrage for herself.

"You little BITCH! I'll KILL you!" Tenten screamed, doing her best to get her hands on Hinata. Lee was having quite a difficult time holding her back, but so far, he had kept her from moving more than a few inches.

The sheer emotion in Tenten's voice made Neji turn his head and stare at her. He'd never seen her so angry before. Finally, he looked back at Hinata, who seemed close to tears herself as Tenten continued to shriek at her.

"Lee," Neji said after a long moment. "Get Tenten out of here. Even if you have to open a Chakra Gate to do it."

It was all he needed to say. Lee nodded, and with great effort, managed to drag Tenten off, though he could do nothing to keep her quiet as he did so. Only when Tenten's yells faded completely did Neji slowly rise to his feet.

"I didn't want to do that," Hinata whispered. "You must know that I never wanted to do that to you."

"It doesn't change the fact that you did," Neji replied, a trace of disbelief in his tone.

"Why are you still like this? I showed you I could be strong. Why do you force me to treat you like-"

"Like what?" Neji asked sharply.

"Like I'm supposed to treat you, in the eyes of the main house," Hinata answered sadly.

"Why wouldn't you want to treat me that way? Don't you enjoy having power over me?"

"Is that what you really think of me, Neji-niisan?" Tears spilled from her eyes as she spoke. "Do you believe I wanted to hurt you like that, in front of your friends? I know how you feel about the Cursed Seal, and if I thought there was any other way to make you listen to me-"

"Are you suggesting that this is somehow my fault?" Neji interrupted hotly.

To his surprise, Hinata took a step back, even as she began to form a hand sign, then stopped herself. "I hate that you make me react that way to you," she murmured. "All I've ever wanted to do was take away your pain, but you insist on dwelling on it, as if it was my decision to hurt you in the first place."

"What is it that you wanted to discuss, Hinata-sama?" Neji asked, putting as much venom into the title as he could.

She seemed very appreciative of the change in subject, though not the rough way he was still speaking to her. "I want you to show me every jutsu you know."

Neji almost laughed, but reminded himself that he was still furious. "I don't have time to teach you-"

"You misheard me," Hinata interrupted. "I only want you to show me every jutsu you know. Whether I learn them or not is my responsibility."

Though he would never say so out loud, he was impressed with the request. But not so much that he was willing to grant it for free. "Give me one good reason why I should," Neji responded.

Hinata nodded, as if she'd been expecting that. "In return, I will grant you one favor, no matter what it might be. You should think carefully about what-"

"You will never activate my Cursed Seal in front of anyone," Neji snapped.

She seemed very surprised. "But-"

"You said anything, Hinata-sama," he reminded her.

"I know that, but-"

"Will you not keep your word?"

"Of course, but, Neji-niisan... why only ask for that? Why not ask that I never activate it again, at all?"

Neji blinked, and took his time in answering. "I never want to see that look on Tenten's face again. Not because of me, anyway."

That look... Tenten had been afraid for him. She had known, because he had confided in his two teammates, that the Cursed Seal was the one thing he could not counter or defeat. It was the one thing he was completely helpless against.

Tenten had wanted to help him... to protect him. Not because he was her teammate, but because she thought he NEEDED her help.

It was too great an insult. Neji didn't NEED anyone's help. He never would. He had been raised strong, and taught to have only one weakness: the damnable Cursed Seal.

"That is the only weakness my son will ever have," he remembered his father saying to him. "When they put that mark on you, Neji, and make no mistake, they will... let it be a reminder that nothing else can truly harm you. Let it remind you that they need it to be there, because they are afraid of you and your power, just as they were of me. Without that mark, you would be free to do as you wished."

Neji would never forget those words. He lived by them daily, and he always would. He was strong. He only had one weakness.

And Hinata had let Tenten and Lee see it, damn her.

But never again.

"May we start now?" Hinata asked suddenly.

Neji sighed and closed his eyes. "Why not?"

* * *

"That all you need, Hana?" Nara Shikaku asked as he pried open a crate. "If you want any more, you'll have to come by in a day or so."

Inuzuka Hana knelt down and peered into the crate, a smile spreading across her face. "No, this should be more than enough for now, Nara-san. Sorry I couldn't come by earlier, but-"

"I know. You've had to look after your mother, haven't you?"

Hana paused and glanced up at him. "Yeah. She's taking it pretty hard. Probably it'll be another couple of weeks before she snaps out of it. She was roughest on him, but Kiba was her baby boy. And we've always worried about Akamaru, him being so little when he came along."

"I figured as much," Shikaku muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "How's Akamaru taking it?"

"Not really sure myself," Hana replied. "One of Kiba's teammates kept him. I forget her name, but she's one of the Hyuuga, I think. Funny, I thought she'd come by eventually, but she hasn't."

"Hyuuga?" Shikaku asked in surprise. "Really? I never figured them as being dog people."

"They aren't, from how Kiba talked about them. But he always used to say that she wasn't like them, somehow. And our family doesn't make mistakes about who we trust." She tapped her nose lightly. "We always sniff out the rats."

"Don't you mean cats?"

"Oh, very funny," Hana said with a smirk. "I'll have you know that I..." She trailed off suddenly, her eyes narrowing as she sniffed the air slightly. In the next instant, she was on her feet. "Akamaru!"

Shikaku nearly tripped as a white blur shot between his feet and launched itself at Hana's face. If the young woman hadn't shouted the dog's name, he would've thought she was being attacked. He turned in the direction that Akamaru had come from, and was startled to see a girl with wide, light lavender eyes staring back at him. "You must be the one that's been looking after him," he murmured. "I'd know those eyes anywhere..."

To his surprise, the girl lowered her head slightly to avoid looking directly at him. He'd met plenty of reserved Hyuugas before, but never had he come across a shy one.

"I am Hyuuga Hinata," she said softly.

Hana studied the girl with a certain gleam in her eyes. "Do you think you could give us some privacy, Nara-san?" She made it sound more like a very strong suggestion than a request, and the message was all too clear.

"Oh, sure." Shikaku glanced between them nervously. "I'll just... be going then." He quickly walked off, muttering, "Good luck," as he passed Hinata. She inclined her head slightly in return, but said nothing else.

From the little she'd seen so far, Hana wasn't really impressed. Certainly the girl knew a few things about taking care of Akamaru: she'd given him Kiba's headband (the familiar scent brought a little moisture to her eyes), and he looked healthy enough, though he was just shy of being plump. She'd probably been feeding him too much and not working him out enough. The dog also felt heavier on her shoulder than she remembered. If things kept on this way, pretty soon no one would be able to pick him up without straining.

"I've got a bone to pick with you, little girl," Hana growled as she stomped over to Hinata. She dug up her fiercest snarl and glared, unnatural as it felt. So long as it had the desired effect, she wasn't too worried about how weird her face might have looked to anyone that knew her.

Hinata looked startled... at first. Then her face softened, and she smiled a tiny smile. "You're so much like him. You act mean, but you're really not."

"Well, crap. There goes twenty minutes of the speech I had prepared for you." Hana sighed in disappointment, then frowned. "Hey, wait. You think Kiba wasn't mean? Really?"

"He... he wasn't to me," Hinata said slowly, looking confused. "He could... be a little loud at times-"

"Oh, they're all like that," Hana interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "But normally, Kiba didn't waste any time messing around with girls. If you don't think my little bro was mean, he must've really liked you."

The girl's cheeks grew bright red. "Oh... that's nice."

"Uh huh. So what have you been feeding Akamaru? I'm guessing you don't have any dog food?"

"Um... no. Mostly just any kind of meat he seems to like. He's really smart, so I figured if something wasn't good for him, he'd let me know..."

Hana rolled her eyes. "Right. Let me clue you in on a few things." She yanked Akamaru off of her shoulder and held him up for Hinata's inspection. "Keep your eyes on his face, now." She poked Akamaru's belly in three different places, and the white dog began to wiggle wildly, his mouth curling into a very obvious grin.

"I haven't seen him do that in a long time," Hinata murmured in fascination.

"Oh, yes you have," Hana disagreed. "He does it every time you've given him something he knows he shouldn't have. You just haven't known what to look for. This is Akamaru's shit-eating grin."

"His... what?" Hinata asked, covering her mouth in shock.

"You heard me. You give him sweets and fatty stuff, you'll see it again. Now, what else have you been feeding him? I know it's not just meat."

Hinata lowered her head and murmured a reply.

"Excuse me? You didn't just say cinnamon buns, did you?"

"I'm sorry," Hinata whispered. "They're my favorite, and... he looked like he wanted them..."

"Of course he wanted them, they're cinnamon buns! But you shouldn't just fork them over!" Hana shook her head. "Honestly, I'm amazed he isn't any fatter! And that's another thing: you haven't been walking him enough! You've been carrying him around like a baby, I can tell!"

"It's just... his weight," Hinata said softly.

"Yeah, he's clearly overweight."

"No, I mean... his weight, in my arms. It's... comforting." Hinata closed her eyes. "When I hold him close to my heart... it's like I can hear Kiba-kun talking to me, and he always sounds so pleased, because we're together, just like I promised."

It sounded like crazy talk to Hana, but she could tell that Hinata clearly had deep feelings for Kiba, and that was enough. She reached out and tousled the girl's dark hair roughly. "You're alright, but you've got too much heart. You can't let Akamaru be the master, okay? Just because he loves you doesn't mean he won't try to put one over on you every now and then."

Hinata's eyes lit up. "Akamaru... loves me?"

"He must, if he'd rather be with you than us. I don't know how you did it, but you must have done something really impressive to win his trust. You don't get that just from cinnamon buns." Hana chuckled. "Although, giving him sweets probably didn't hurt his opinion of you, either."

"I promise to take better care of him," Hinata said solemnly.

Hana still looked skeptical. "Maybe you'd better bring him by once a month, just so I can make sure he's getting everything he needs."

The look on Hinata's face in that moment was something Hana would remember for a long time afterwards.

"I... I don't think I'll be able to do that," Hinata responded, balling her hands into fists at her sides. "You see, there is... a mission I'll have to leave on very soon. I can't say when I'll be back."

It was a lie. At least, part of it was. Hana knew that right away. Genin didn't usually get sent away on missions that took that long, unless they were exceptionally skilled. And if that had been the case, chances were Kiba's team wouldn't have had to back out of the chuunin exam once they lost him. Although now that she'd met Hinata, Hana was pretty sure that no matter how good the girl was, losing Kiba would've made her useless in that kind of environment.

But Hana wasn't going to question the girl on the matter. Not when there was a better source of information, as far as she was concerned. She lifted Akamaru up to her face and stared into the white dog's eyes. "So how about it, Akamaru? You want to go on this mission with her?"

Akamaru barked once, then struggled out of Hana's arms and leaped into Hinata's, where he licked her face eagerly, drawing a soft smile from the girl.

Hana still had her doubts, but if Akamaru was sure, she wouldn't interfere. "If I find out you let him get fat and lazy..."

"He won't," Hinata swore.

"Well, take care of each other. I want to hear all about this mission when you get back."

She didn't miss the way Hinata froze momentarily, but when the girl finally nodded, Hana turned her attention back to the crate, muttering thoughtfully to herself. It wasn't until Hana was alone that she realized Hinata hadn't mentioned anyone else going on the mission with her.

* * *

Things had been awkward and tense, but Neji could think of no way to correct the situation without making things even worse in the process. He could no longer look Tenten in the eyes as easily as he once had. Each time he tried, he was reminded of that single moment of weakness, and feared that she would be reminded of it, too.

Tenten avoided eye contact with him as well, though when she did so, her cheeks were often bright red, which was in itself completely unusual for her. When she had to speak to him, her voice was soft and hesitant, so much so that she reminded him more of Hinata then she did herself.

Even Lee, sensing the discomfort, had tried to distract them with numerous antics, but nothing worked for long.

Something had to be done. The lion's share of Neji's usual training regimen depended entirely on Tenten, and if he were unable to work with her, his abilities would eventually suffer. He wished that it were as simple as telling her to forget that day, but it was not. That day had been too startlingly real for either of them to forget, or merely pass off as a nightmare.

While at the forefront of his mind, Neji blamed Hinata for this whole mess, he'd needlessly provoked her in the first place. Of course, Hinata was the last person he'd ever expected to activate his Cursed Seal, but that was no real excuse, either. If he had just acknowledged her in front of his teammates, nothing would've changed.

Perhaps that was why when he next saw Hinata leaving the bookstore, Neji increased his stride until he caught up with her.

Hinata was so startled by his sudden appearance that she nearly dropped the bag she was carrying. "Neji-niisan!" she gasped.

He plucked the bag out of her trembling arms, tucking it under his right arm before grasping her elbow with his free hand. "We need to talk," he said simply as he guided her down the street.

"About what?" Hinata asked, blinking in confusion.

"What you're going to do about Tenten," Neji answered shortly.

Hinata instantly stopped moving. "I... I can't."

His eyes narrowed. "And why not?"

"Neji-niisan... what I did to you isn't the problem. At least, it's not all of the problem." She paused, taking a deep breath before going on. "Tenten reacted that way because... she cares deeply for you."

Neji snorted. "You obviously don't know Tenten as well as you think, Hinata-sama."

"I would say the same for you," Hinata countered. "I have found that using the Byakugan too often makes it harder to see things that should be perfectly obvious, even without it. If you never believe anything else I say, believe that. You're right, I don't know Tenten. But I do know how she feels, because I lost someone I care deeply for. She is upset because she has never known the fear of nearly losing you, until now."

He stared at her for a long moment, considering her words. Even if Hinata was wrong, she was clearly convinced that she was right, and she was almost never that confident about anything. Obviously, Tenten had some feelings that he hadn't been aware of previously, and they certainly might be concerned with him, but to what degree, and in what way? It didn't look like he was going to find out without asking her, but how would he do that if they couldn't even look at each other?

Suddenly, he felt Hinata's hand lightly grip his arm. "If you really want to know how she feels, you have to talk to her. Thank her for being concerned about you... as a teammate."

There was a certain gleam in Hinata's eye as she said that, almost as if there was something she wasn't saying, something that he should know. But she said nothing else on the matter, and Neji sensed he'd gotten all the information he was going to get out of her. Wordlessly, he handed her bag back and turned to leave.

That was when he realized she hadn't let go of his arm yet. "Is there something you wanted, Hinata-sama?" he asked.

Hinata simply stared up at him, as if she hadn't heard him speak. Then, without warning, she stood on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck and press her lips swiftly against his cheek. By the time Neji realized what she'd done, and what it meant, Hinata had already disappeared.

* * *

Hanabi was not asleep when her bedroom door slid open, yet she purposely slowed down her breathing and closed her eyes as her sister crept in. It was her experience that people often gave in to their true natures when they thought no one could see them, and there were many times when Hanabi couldn't even begin to guess what went through Hinata's mind.

She was not at all worried when the bed sank in slightly next to her, or when she felt the hand that tenderly tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. One of Hinata's more obvious failings was that she simply cared too much.

"I'm glad you're asleep, Hanabi," Hinata said softly. "That will make it much easier to say this."

Hanabi waited patiently as her sister paused to collect her thoughts.

"I'm sorry for any shame that I've caused you and our clan. And I'm sorry for not being the kind of sister you could look up to. But you won't have to worry about any of that anymore. I'm going to become strong, like you always said I should. I'll do everything I can to become someone you'd be proud to call your sister. Even if..."

Hinata's voice trailed off for a moment, and when she spoke again, Hanabi could tell she was struggling not to burst into tears.

"Even if it means... you can never call me your sister again."

There was a slight rustling sound, and then something warm and soft was draped over Hanabi's body.

"I'm so sorry, Hanabi-chan," Hinata whispered directly into her ear. "I love you... I'll always love you."

Hanabi was still trying to make sense of it all when Hinata gently kissed her forehead and moved off of the bed. Only when her older sister was gone did Hanabi sit up to find out what was covering her. It was Hinata's tan jacket with the familiar flame symbol on the sleeves. Hanabi would stare at the jacket for nearly an hour before she could bring herself to touch it. Even then, all she could think to do was clench it until her knuckles were sore, a grim expression on her face.

* * *

"Mmm... Sakura-chan, what are you doing bathing in a giant bowl of ramen?" a half-asleep Naruto asked, a giddy smile plastered across his face. "Oh, you've got a noodle stuck in your-"

An insistent knocking at his door interrupted Naruto's odd yet pleasant dream. With a frustrated grunt, he dragged himself out of bed. "Hold on! Some people actually sleep this time of night!" he shouted angrily as he yanked the door open.

He was completely surprised to find Hinata standing on his doorstep. "Hinata, what are you doing out so late?"

"I want to tell you something, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly. "But I need you to promise you won't tell anyone else."

"Yeah, okay," Naruto yawned, starting to pull her inside. "Sit down and we'll-"

"No, Naruto-kun," Hinata interrupted, shaking her head. "I can't. I don't have time. I... I just came to say goodbye..."

"You... what?" Naruto asked sharply, starting to sense that something was very wrong. "What are you talking about, Hinata?"

She lowered her head. "I have to go. If I don't... something terrible will happen to me. Promise me you won't say anything for a few days, at least."

"But where are you going? And why can't I say anything?" Naruto demanded.

"There are... evils I hope you never have to encounter, Naruto-kun," she whispered. "I can't tell you why or where I'm going. But if you really want to know, you'll have to ask my cousin, Neji, and my sister, Hanabi."

"No!" Naruto shouted as he grabbed her arms. "You tell me!"

Instead of answering him, Hinata leaned forward and pressed her lips firmly against his. Naruto was too startled to do more than stand there and blink. When she finally pulled back, he merely gaped at her.

"I will never forget you, Naruto-kun," Hinata breathed, her hands trembling as she clutched his shoulders. "I hope that when you think of me, you will do so fondly."

"But... Hinata..." Naruto murmured, shaking his head. "What am I supposed to-" His breath caught in his throat as she brushed her lips lightly against his one last time. He instinctively tightened his hold on her, just as she vanished in a cloud of smoke. "A Shadow Clone?" he gasped in surprise.

A cool breeze from the quiet night was his only reply. Naruto stood in the doorway for a few more seconds, almost as if he were waiting for something to happen, though he had no idea what.

Then, just as he was about to go back inside, he saw it. Something small and white darted across the street and into the shadows, and though it had been too fast for him to get a good look at, he could've sworn it was a dog.

Part of Naruto was glad that Hinata was no longer there. He would've had to explain to her that he was in love with someone else, and he didn't want him breaking her heart to be their last shared memory. He told himself that several times as he closed the door and leaned against the wall. It was then that he finally noticed a loud pounding in his ears, and it would be some time before he recognized it as the rapid beating of his own heart.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Hinata deactivated the Byakugan and absently brushed the tear streaks from her cheeks. She knew it wasn't fair to herself or to Naruto to have a Shadow Clone kiss him, but she couldn't take the risk that he might try to stop her from leaving... even worse, that she might allow him to do so.

Hinata sighed and adjusted the straps of the heavy travel pack on her shoulders. Normally, she would never have packed so much, not even for her longest trips, but then, they didn't get much longer than this. She had no idea when she'd be able to stop, or if there would be a chance to stock up on supplies, but she couldn't risk going back now.

Soon enough, Akamaru ran up the hillside to join her. She picked him up and held him to her heart, trying to reassure herself that she was making the right choice.

"Go on, Hinata," urged the voice from her dreams. "I know you're scared, but I also know that you'll be fine. I'll be with you, whenever you need me."

Nodding to herself, she put Akamaru down and started to move.

"Don't go," said a voice behind her.

Hinata spun around, nearly losing her balance as the weight of pack shifted. But two strong, steady hands grabbed the straps and held her upright.

"Shino-kun!" Hinata gasped in shock as she stared up at her teammate.

"Don't go," Shino repeated as he leaned closer to her face. "Don't go... unless you promise not to let anyone catch you."

Her eyes widened. "What?" she squeaked.

"Don't you know what you are, Hinata? What you'll become if you take one step over that line in front of you?"

She swallowed hard and nodded stiffly. "I do."

Shino sighed and released the straps on her pack. "I'll cover for you as best I can. But you better move quickly. And... good luck."

"Shino-kun," Hinata whispered, her eyes growing damp again. "Thank you..." She stepped forward to hug him, but he gently pushed her back.

"Probably better that I don't have your scent on me when they do start looking," Shino pointed out, a trace of sorrow in his tone. "Go."

Hinata turned around and took a few steps away from them. Then, with a few murmured words, she fell to her hands and knees and suddenly sprang into the night like a wild creature, with Akamaru loping along after her.

Shino quickly headed back towards the village, a sinking feeling in his heart. "You better know where you're taking her, Kiba," he muttered. "I can't watch over her anymore..."

* * *

Yuhi Kurenai was having something of a bad morning.

She'd gotten in late last night, so normally she would've gone straight to bed. Unfortunately, there had been some pressing business, in the form of a rater innocent-looking letter from Hinata slipped under her door. Having heard precious little from the girl since Kiba's death, Kurenai was more than a little concerned as she tore open the envelope to read the message inside.

The letter was long, heartfelt, and above all, troubling. Hinata basically thanked Kurenai for all her help (especially with genjitsu), and asked her not to worry too much. She talked about how she had begun to feel more and more that she didn't belong, not only within her own family, but within Konoha as well. In the end, she asked that Kurenai make sure that Shino became the best ninja they both knew he could be.

"Always thinking of someone else," Kurenai sighed, shaking her head.

"I take it you got a letter, too?"

Kurenai didn't even blink as she looked up to find Hatake Kakashi staring back at her. She would worry about how he'd gotten into her apartment later. "Was yours any better than mine?" she asked hopefully.

He shrugged, leaning against the wall. "Shorter, anyway. She asked me to make sure that Naruto became the Hokage, although she specified that he didn't have to be the next one. So, how do you want to handle this?"

"Knowing what I do about her clan," Kurenai said slowly, "I can't in good conscience rush out and alert the proper authorities."

"We give her a three-day head start, then?" Kakashi suggested.

Kurenai smiled. "I was thinking more like a week."

**End of Part 3.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Not actually having seen very much of Hana or Shikaku, I portrayed them as best I could from the very thin descriptions I could find. I'll probably have to come back and edit their part. The only reason I have them knowing each other at all is because I suspect most of the soldier pills in Konoha come from the same source.

I have no idea if Neji's seal was ever activated in the series, although supposedly the magnitude of the pain felt during the activation depends on the intent of the user. But since we're talking about the destruction of at least one brain cell every time it's used, I assume it hurts like hell even at the lowest possible setting.

The symbol on Hinata's jacket (looks like a fireball or a candle flame to me) may mean something along the lines of "sunny place" or "in the sun," both of which are meanings for both of her names. But since she's the only Hyuuga that wears it, I assume it has more to do with her personal name than anything else.

The last scenes with Neji and Hanabi are meant to be a bit ambiguous. If they're not, let me know.

Question: If Hinata's Shadow Clone kisses someone, does Hinata know what it felt like, or does the memory, like the clone, cease to exist after a short period? I played around with that for a long time, and I still can't figure it out. I set it up this way so Hinata would see herself kissing Naruto, if nothing else.


	4. Keeping Counsel

Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me, and I'm perfectly willing to wear a sign that says so, which is more than most people would do.

Notes: You will notice some parallels between the departures of both Hinata and Sasuke, but they are treated differently in that: 1) Hinata leaves first, 2) Hinata's leaving does not involve a known enemy of Konoha, and 3) the Hyuuga main house is involved.

Summary: While the final fate of Hinata is decided by the Konoha Council of Elders, Neji struggles with inner conflict as he faces off against Naruto in the final stage of the chuunin exam.

**Keeping Counsel**

**Part 4 of White Dog Night**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

Hinata had run for nearly three days straight, only stopping when she absolutely had to. She had left little to no signs of a trail as far as she knew, though after a while there was only so much she could do about her scent.

Naruto would keep his word, but she imagined that someone would come looking for her before the week was done. Hinata had no illusions about her current situation: anyone that was sent after her, she would have little hope of defeating. Her best choice now was to enter enemy territory, and hope they didn't care too much about a lone girl and her little dog.

Beyond that, there was only one other precaution she could think to take. Hinata began to use her own Shadow Clone as a training dummy. It had been very awkward at first, but she eventually found the weaknesses in her own techniques, and was able to effectively exploit each one. Only when she was comfortable with the one had she dared to attempt creating two Shadow Clones, and then finally three. Naruto had warned her against making any more than that, at least until she got used to controlling that many. Fortunately, Hinata's Shadow Clones were relatively easy-going, and the few that weren't were easily rounded up by Akamaru.

Hinata did all of this with the dread of certainty in her heart. One day, someone would come for her, and they would be Hyuuga. No matter who it was, she needed to be prepared to defeat the taijutsu style she had grown up with. And in the end, even that wouldn't be enough. She would need more if she were going to survive out here.

And she had it. Hinata was carefully memorizing all the vegetation that was safe for eating or medicinal purposes from the books she'd brought along. She was also preparing herself for any other opponents she might come across. She'd practiced not only performing genjitsu, but interrupting them as well.

Akamaru was more of a challenge to train, but Hinata managed it. She started off with simple games of 'Hide and Seek' that quickly became unimaginably difficult. Hinata could recognize his chakra easily enough, but the same went for him, and with the added benefit of his nose, she never could manage to fool him for long. Even if she ran for miles, he would always track her down.

The little white dog turned out to be far more intelligent than she'd guessed. He'd merely sat by and watched while she worked with her Shadow Clones, but by the time she was done, he could isolate her scent from theirs no matter how many she made. When they slept, he was always either within arm's reach or physically touching her, breathing in and refreshing the memory of her scent every night.

But then, Hinata's scent now probably wasn't all that different from Kiba's, since she was almost always wearing his jacket. At night, she sometimes pulled the hood up over her head, completely immersing herself in the scent, hoping to bring herself more dreams of him. But often, she could only summon up memories of Kiba, which weren't quite the same as actually talking to him now, but just as comforting in their own way. If she noticed that the few times Kiba did speak to her, he had less and less to say, Hinata didn't dwell on it. She took it to mean exactly what it was supposed to: that Kiba wasn't talking as much because she didn't need his help as much as she once had.

Naturally, there would always be a part of Hinata that clung to Kiba, if not for protection, then companionship at the very least. As such, she would always need him in some form, even if it was just his comforting scent in a particularly lonely moment. And while it didn't communicate nearly as much as it once had, Kiba's spirit found other ways to let Hinata know that he would always be around when she needed him...

* * *

"Each of you has been summoned here today because you are suspected to have had the last known contacts with the accused. Bear in mind that any testimony you give, or withhold, speaks not only for the accused, but yourself as well. Now, please step forward, and state your name and relationship to the accused for the official records."

One by one, each of the witnesses came forward to present themselves to the Konoha Council of Elders.

"Yuhi Kurenai, sensei."

"Aburame Shino, teammate."

"Uzumaki Naruto, friend."

"Inuzuka Hana, veterinarian."

A slight pause, and then:

"Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hanabi, cousin and sister, respectively."

There was great deal of muttering around the room, until the Sandaime Hokage motioned for silence.

"Can the girl not speak for herself?" the inquisitor asked.

"She has not spoken for the last few days," Neji replied, glancing down at Hanabi. "However, she has authorized me to speak on her behalf."

"If she cannot speak, there is no reason for her to be here."

"Did you not summon each of us because we were the last to see the accused? Surely you will not disregard her testimony just because she is unwilling to speak aloud? As the sister of the accused, she may very well have the best idea as to why we are all here."

Another round of muttering followed, and again the Sandaime Hokage gestured for silence.

"Very well. You will speak for her. But be aware that misrepresenting her, or yourself, will carry grave consequences for you."

"I am very much aware of my status within the Hyuuga Clan," Neji responded solemnly.

The inquisitor nodded slightly. "The trial will proceed as follows. Each witness will be interviewed separately. Based on the collective testimony, the Council will deliberate before making its final judgment."

* * *

"When did you last have contact with the accused?" the inquisitor asked.

Kurenai closed her eyes for a moment. "Shortly after the second stage of the chuunin exam."

"What did you observe her mental and emotional state to be at that time?"

"She was very obviously devastated, having just lost a teammate and friend in Inuzuka Kiba."

"Did you feel there was anything about the nature of the death that would have been particularly upsetting for her?"

Kurenai stared at the man with a mild sense of disbelief before shaking her head. "Other than the fact that he was dead? No. But that would've been more than enough to upset her greatly."

"And you therefore granted her a temporary leave of absence from active duty, to be suspended when you found her to be capable once again?"

She nodded. "I did."

"Yet you did not do the same for your remaining student?"

"No. Hinata requested the leave of absence, Shino didn't. But I thought they both needed the time off, so I didn't bother to volunteer them for any missions."

"How would you describe your relationship with the accused?"

"I thought of all my students as my children, but Hinata especially. She never gave me any indication that she had a problem with me, and even slept over at my place occasionally when it wasn't required. I'd like to think she was very comfortable with me."

"So is it reasonable to assume that if anyone would have previous knowledge of the actions of the accused, that person would be you?"

With a wry smile, Kurenai responded, "Yes, it would. But as I said, I hadn't spoken with her since the second stage of the chuunin exam, and at the time, she made no mention of doing anything other than looking after Kiba's dog."

The inquisitor frowned at her. "Then you are stating that you had no idea the accused might be considering leaving the village?"

"That's correct. I actually thought she was still in mourning until today."

"I find that very hard to believe. How is it that you managed to avoid hearing anything about the actions of the accused until today?"

"You might say I was guilty of caring too much. I was... handling Kiba's death in my own way. I hadn't been in contact with Hinata, and if I had heard anything about her, I probably would've disregarded it as mere gossip. There was plenty in this case, and I never believe everything I hear. I only realized how serious it was when I received the summon to appear before the Council of Elders."

"Does the alleged abandoning of one's village strike you as serious, then?" the inquisitor asked.

"It would... if I believed that was what had truly happened."

"You don't, then?"

"No, I do not."

"Would you mind explaining what you think did happen?"

"Certainly not." Kurenai leaned forward, her red eyes narrowing. "The only thing Hinata abandoned was her clan, and from where I stand, she had good reason to do so, since they'd practically done the same thing to her already. She could hardly do that and remain safely in Konoha, so she left the village entirely. What I can't understand is why the Hyuuga Clan, known for being intensely private, would pass on the possible punishment of one of their own to the Council of Elders, instead of handling the matter themselves."

"You are dismissed, Yuhi-san," the inquisitor said coldly.

* * *

"Had you noticed any changes in the accused as of late?" the inquisitor began.

"Yes," Shino replied simply.

"Such as?" the inquisitor nearly growled.

"She had a dog."

"Anything else?"

"She was more self-confident. Coming out of her shell, I guess."

"Have you any idea why she might have chosen to leave the village?"

"Don't think she had a choice."

"You're suggesting she was taken by force?"

"No. Just that she didn't have a choice."

"Explain."

"Disownment. Slavery. Death. Those aren't choices. They're things to be avoided at all costs for anyone. So she did. She wasn't stupid."

"But you do believe she left under her own power?"

"Depends on what you mean. She was in a hopeless situation. She might have gotten some advice."

"From who?" the inquisitor demanded.

Shino shrugged. "Anyone who would give it freely."

"Such as yourself?"

He shook his head. "Didn't really have anything to add just then."

"Really."

"If you don't believe me, then why waste time questioning me?"

"I didn't say that I didn't believe you."

"You didn't have to. I'm not stupid, either. Though I guess you are, if you can't figure out how messed up that clan is."

"I hardly think you, of all people, is in any position to question the Hyuuga Clan's way of life. Doesn't your own clan have certain... practices at birth that children have no say in?"

"Yes. But you don't see us branding each other like cattle and wishing death on each other, do you? You may think we're weird, but so what? Our way works, theirs doesn't. They're just too stuck up to admit it. And you're too deep in their pockets to ask any questions that might prove that."

"You are dismissed."

* * *

"You claim to be a friend of the accused. Could you expand on that?" the inquisitor asked.

"Oh, sure," Naruto replied, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Hinata really looked up to me. Said I was her personal hero and everything. She might have even had a little crush on me in the end."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, she planted a wet one on me. I think that was a pretty big indicator. She wasn't the kind of girl that just went around randomly kissing people. Most people she could barely look in the eye at all."

"Do you believe this... alleged kiss... was a way of telling you her intention to leave?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, that can't be right. Who skips town after their first kiss? Only something really bad could make her leave, I know that much."

"Such as?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say problems at home. She never did talk about her family much. But if I'd known they were giving her this much trouble, I would've just let her move in with me."

"So you had no part in influencing her to leave the village?"

"Are you crazy? Why would I want her to leave? She's one of the few people in this whole village that actually likes me! I'd never tell her to go!"

"But you do have a reputation for breaking the rules," the inquisitor pointed out. "Perhaps she was merely following your example? Or perhaps you will leave next, so you two can be together?"

"Why do smart people always say the dumbest things? I told you, I'd never just let her leave! If I'd known she needed help, I would've helped her so she wouldn't have had to go. I don't see why she's the one on trial, you should be asking her family what they did to make her run away."

"You are dismissed."

* * *

"You spoke with the accused a week ago, is that correct?" the inquisitor asked.

"That's correct," Hana answered evenly.

"What did you discuss?"

"I expressed my concerns over how she was taking care of my late brother's dog, Akamaru. I gave her some guidelines to follow, and when I tried to schedule regular visits for him, she refused."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"She claimed that she was going on a mission soon, and didn't think she'd be back soon."

"Then you don't believe she was actually going on a mission?"

"Not entirely, no. She didn't say much about the mission itself, or who, if anyone, would be accompanying her. I only know that she planned to take Akamaru along."

"In light of what you witnessed that day, is it at all likely that the accused may have been planning to never return to Konoha?"

"Looking back, it was extremely likely."

The inquisitor smiled for the first time that day. "Thank you very much for your testimony, Inuzuka-san. You are dismissed."

* * *

"The Council has decided to interview you both together. However, we must ask that you specify when you are stating your own opinions, and those of your cousin, Hyuuga-san."

"I understand," Neji said slowly, doing his best to keep his temper in check.

"Which of you was the last to have contact with the accused?"

"That was Hanabi-sama."

"What was discussed?"

"The accused apologized for bringing shame upon the clan with her weakness, and vowed to become stronger, though she did not say how she would accomplish this."

"And do you believe that she left the village to grow stronger, Hyuuga-san?"

Neji hesitated. "However misguided she may have been, yes, I do believe that."

"If you were ordered to capture the accused and return her to the village, would you do so?"

"Yes, but only if ordered. She made her own mistakes, and she must suffer the consequences of them." He glanced down as Hanabi touched his arm. "Hanabi-sama agrees."

"Do either of you have any idea where the accused might be going?"

"We do not."

"You are both dismissed."

* * *

Neji took a deep, cleansing breath as he left the trial with Hanabi at his side. He knew things could've been much worse, especially if he'd decided to go in alone.

Though he had never seen the inquisitor before, Neji was certain that the man was connected to the Hyuuga main house in some way. That would definitely explain his attitude toward Neji, and why he was determined to paint a negative picture of Hinata for the Council of Elders. The trial hadn't gone well for her, not that Neji had expected anything different. As head of the Hyuuga Clan, Hinata's father would've been the one that decided to leave her fate up to the village, rather than addressing the issue within the clan. One way or another, she would soon be dead to Neji and Hanabi.

He glanced down at Hanabi, not surprised to see her face pale but composed. She had been like that ever since Hinata left, and he was starting to think she'd made herself sick by refusing to eat.

"Hey, Hyuuga!"

Neji drew his gaze from his younger cousin to find one Uzumaki Naruto standing in their path. "We have no time or patience for your antics today. Hanabi-sama is ill. I must see her home safely."

Naruto tilted his head slightly. "I know she's cute, but I think you're taking it a little too far."

It took a few seconds for Neji to realize that Naruto was commenting on the respect he had addressed Hanabi with. It was very odd, even refreshing, to run into someone who had no idea as to what the separation of the main and branch houses meant for each Hyuuga. Despite that, Neji was in no mood to explain it to an outsider.

"We'll be leaving now," Neji said, starting to guide Hanabi around Naruto.

"Hold it." Naruto knelt in front of Hanabi, peering closely at her face. "Yeah, you have to be Hinata's little sister."

Hanabi stiffened, and Neji instantly stepped between her and Naruto.

"That's funny," Naruto muttered, taking a few steps back. "From what Hinata told me, you hate her family."

"I have duties that I must perform," Neji answered. "Step aside, Uzumaki."

"Not until you tell me why Hinata left, and where she went. She told me you two would know."

Neji's eyes widened momentarily. "Did she? How odd."

"Just answer me!" Naruto demanded angrily.

"She left in search of strength," Hanabi said softly. "Neji-oniisan, I'm tired. I want to go home."

This time, Naruto stepped aside and allowed them to pass with no trouble.

"Are you sure that was a good idea, Hanabi-sama?" Neji asked once Naruto had left the path entirely.

She didn't even spare him a glance. "It won't matter. If he were going to do something about Hinata, he would've done it already."

"More than likely," Neji agreed. "What made you decide to speak after all this time?"

Hanabi sighed. "He was in the way, I am tired, and I do want to go home."

He smiled faintly. "I see."

* * *

Tenten was not distracted. She didn't get distracted. Her mind was clear, and so if she needed to fight, her aim would be true.

That was what she kept telling herself, at least.

The truth was, she wouldn't have to fight today, and even if she had, her perfect aim would've been of no use. She had lost to Temari, the kunoichi of those three oddly powerful Sand nin, in the preliminaries of the third stage of the chuunin exam. All of Tenten's weapons had proved ineffective against Temari's oversized fan.

Perhaps the only good thing was that she hadn't been alone in her defeat: Lee had lost to Gaara, Temari's younger brother. If that fight was any indication, Tenten had been lucky to drawn Temari out of the three Sand nin. Temari had been arrogant, but Gaara was completely ruthless. Tenten had known that Lee could take a great deal of punishment, but after that fight, she feared he would never be the same again. A beating like the one Lee had been handed (well, the one he'd had forced upon him) damaged both physically and mentally. She doubted he'd show up today, which meant Tenten would be going alone.

Normally, she would've walked with Neji, but he had become more withdrawn since Hinata had left the village. This only made things between them, which were already strained, even worse. Neji would barely say two words to her now, and Tenten could think of nothing that might return them to their former comfort level.

She would see him soon enough, though. He was the only member of their team to win in the preliminaries, so he would be competing today. Tenten had made up her mind: no matter what happened, she would talk to Neji today. She would force him to listen to her, if she had to.

Tenten's planning came to a halt as she finally spotted Neji, who she'd assumed would be alone. She took a deep breath, set her face into a determined scowl, and started to approach him.

That is, until she spotted the small girl walking alongside him. She could only be Hyuuga Hanabi, Neji's other cousin and Hinata's sister. Tenten felt cold all over as she watched them enter the arena. She had thought that Neji wasn't willing to be with anyone right now, but apparently, he just hadn't wanted to be around her. The sight of him with someone else almost convinced her to turn around and go home. But, remembering how strong the three Sand nin were, Tenten realized that Neji's life might be endangered if he were paired with any of them.

"I can't let things between us end like this," she whispered. Putting on a brave face, she pushed her hurt feelings aside and followed Neji and Hanabi into the arena.

* * *

"You're distracted," Hanabi said softly. "That's very unlike you, Neji-oniisan."

Neji blinked and glanced down at his cousin, shifting his weight anxiously as he avoided her eyes. "It's nothing."

"I wouldn't suggest that you risk it. I have heard strange things about some of today's competitors. Things that, if true, would demand your full attention in battle." She paused uncertainly. "If you wish to... talk about whatever is bothering you..."

He almost smiled at the offer. "No, Hanabi-sama. But... thank you." Neji soon frowned again as he scanned the growing crowd. "Your father... where is he?"

Hanabi shook her head. "I do not know. He has been very busy lately, or so it would seem. He is almost never at home during the day."

"Probably doing his best to influence the Council's decision," Neji murmured with a dark look.

"Probably," she agreed, looking more thoughtful than angry. "Still, it is odd that he would miss watching you in the chuunin exam."

"Speaking of which, I'd better go. It looks like they're about to start." Neji leaned down and spoke softly into Hanabi's ear. "Pay close attention. This is an excellent opportunity to see fighting styles uncommon to Konoha."

Hanabi simply nodded as she took her seat, watching Neji walk away. She was considering saving a seat for her father when someone actually filled the one next to her. She looked up to find a girl about Neji's age with a rather pained expression on her face.

"Who are you?" Hanabi asked blankly.

The girl glanced at her. "Tenten," she replied stiffly. "Neji's teammate, though I doubt he's mentioned me."

Neji had, actually, but Hanabi saw no reason to confirm or deny the girl's suspicions. "You came to watch him fight?"

"Among other things," Tenten sighed, drumming her fingers on her knees. "So, um... you and Neji are close, huh?"

"We are related."

Tenten frowned and stared at Hanabi. "Okay... You, um... spend a lot of time with him?"

"As much as we find necessary."

"Do you... like him?" Tenten asked.

"He has yet to incur my wrath," Hanabi replied.

"Has... he said anything about Hinata lately?"

Hanabi did not answer that question, and the look in her eyes told Tenten that it would not be wise to ask any others.

* * *

Hyuuga Hiashi closed his eyes as he drank deeply of the warm, bitter tea he'd been offered. It was perhaps the worst tasting thing he had ever willingly swallowed, but that didn't matter. He was a man of tradition, an upholder of the old ways, and so was his host.

The older man sighed contentedly as he lowered his own cup. "I must thank you again for meeting with me on such short notice, Hiashi," he said. "I know you would rather be watching the chuunin exam."

"What I would rather do is often overshadowed by what I must do," Hiashi replied. "I'm sure you can understand that."

"Indeed," the man agreed. "Have you news from the Council?"

"They will more than likely make their decision known at the conclusion of the chuunin exam. They will vote as I assumed they would."

"That is good news for you, my friend. Shall I prepare a squad?"

Hiashi frowned. "Forgive me for doubting your reach, but you have yet to explain how this matter would fall under your jurisdiction."

"You doubted that, and yet you still came to me," the older man chuckled. "You see, Hiashi... everything is not always in black and white. Suffice it to say that you have come to right person for this particular task."

"At the very least, the Council will declare her a missing-nin. That will make it a matter for the shinobi hunters."

The older man smiled and made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "You worry too much, Hiashi. I say again that I can do what you have requested."

"Are you implying that you still have some control over ANBU?" Hiashi asked slowly.

"I am merely assuring you that, one way or another, I will handle the job," he answered confidently. "That is, assuming you haven't changed your mind?"

"I have not. She was dead to me long before now. This latest defiance has only forced my hand, no matter what the Council would decide." Hiashi forced down another sip of tea.

"Then you will have your proof of the girl's death soon enough. Though... I must admit to having some concerns."

Hiashi stared at him curiously. "About what?"

"I know the abilities of my men. You have told me what little the girl is capable of. And yet, I have learned to be wary of cornered animals... especially if they are blessed with your bloodline limit."

"What are you saying, exactly?"

"I would prefer to fight fire with fire when possible. If this girl proves to be... difficult, I might have to call on you for further aid. I am doing you a favor, after all."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "You want Hanabi."

The older man smiled kindly. "You make it sound so horrible, Hiashi. To be selected by ANBU for service is a great honor. And who better to track down your wayward offspring? Surely the heir of the Hyuuga Clan would understand why this must be done."

"Hanabi will not appreciate being selected under false reasoning."

"Do not be so quick to judge me, my friend. I would have sent for your daughter whether you came to me or not. You have only made her acquisition more certain. I find the best soldiers are those recruited early."

"Like the lost Uchiha?" Hiashi sneered.

The older man's face hardened into a cold mask. "He may have chosen another side, but he is undeniably still a great soldier. I doubt you would last long against him, Hiashi."

"I have no interest in allowing Hanabi to betray our clan, or this village. I've had enough of that to last a lifetime."

"So many are quick to assume the fault lies with ANBU. But you would do well to remember the facts. Uchiha only massacred his clan. Your daughter only betrayed her clan. The fault lies with the family. If you want Hanabi's loyalty, then it is your responsibility, as her father, to claim it. I could only lay claim to the skills she used to kill, not the reasoning behind it." He paused, sighing softly. "It is, as I said, your choice. But it is the right choice, Hiashi, however you might feel about it. You need that girl dead. I am merely offering you a path that benefits us both."

Hiashi said nothing for several moments. Finally, he stood up and turned away from his host. "Hanabi will be prepared," he said quietly before stepping out of the room.

The old man smiled, drinking the last of his tea. "You should know better than to go against me by now, Hiashi. My will is the will of Konoha. And everything done in the name of Danzou is done for the good of Konoha."

* * *

Neji was thinking about balm as he waited for his match to be announced. More specifically, the small container of herbal balm he'd found just this morning, cleverly hidden in one of his spare kunai holsters. "I'm sorry I can only heal your physical pain," read the small note attached to the balm.

It was from Hinata, stashed where he would eventually find it, but not until she'd been gone for a while. Had he found it directly after she'd left, he might very well have smashed the container without a second thought. And it wasn't even because the thought of Neji being wounded to the point where he might need the balm was insulting.

It was because the smell would remind him unfailingly of Hinata, who had needed the balm so often that she almost constantly smelled of either it, or the flowers she pressed in her free time.

Neji had put the balm back where he'd found it, though he didn't think he'd ever use it. He didn't want to smell like Hinata, or be reminded of her unless it was absolutely necessary. She was no longer his concern. He no longer had to worry about being forced to protect her.

No, he only had to worry about being forced to protect Hanabi.

Though... he hadn't been forced into that, had he?

No one had asked him. No one had even ordered him. Was it because they thought Hanabi didn't require protection as Hinata had? Or had they just known he would willingly stand by Hanabi, because she brought honor to the title of heir, and was not a disgrace to the clan?

He wasn't sure, and no longer had any time to worry about such things. His match would be coming up anytime now, and-

"The first match will be between Hyuuga Neji... and Uzumaki Naruto!"

Neji was honestly surprised that Naruto had made it this far. Certainly he could guess how the village outcast had made it through the second stage, with Uchiha Sasuke as a teammate. But after that, he would've had to survive on his own abilities alone.

As he walked to the battle area, Neji spotted Hanabi and Tenten next to each other in the crowd. Hanabi was staring at Naruto as if he were a rather interesting bug, and Tenten, of course, was staring straight at Neji.

"Hey, Hyuuga! Are we gonna fight or what?"

Neji's head snapped to left, a scowl forming on his face as Naruto grinned wickedly at him. "I have never before met someone so eager to lose."

Naruto laughed good-naturedly, lacing his fingers behind his head. "You serious guys always crack me up!" His expression became solemn as he dropped his hands. "Listen, Hyuuga. Tell Hanabi-chan I'm sorry."

The sincerity in Naruto's voice caught Neji off guard. "For what?" he asked uncertainly.

Naruto took a deep breath... and grinned like a fool as he pointed at Neji. "For embarrassing her cousin in front of the whole village when I mop the floor with him! But don't feel too bad, because you can tell everyone you were defeated by Uzumaki Naruto, the secret love of Hyuuga Hinata, and the newest chuunin in Konoha!"

For several seconds, Neji's face was blank. Then a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes spread across his face as he cracked his knuckles ominously. "Uzumaki... I'm going to kill you now," he replied in a jovial tone. "First I'm going to break every bone in your body. Then I'll rupture any organs that haven't exploded already. And finally, I'll dump your lifeless body outside of the gates of Konoha, where it belongs."

"Bring it on, Bright Eyes!" Naruto shouted, clearly just as eager to get started as Neji was.

Neji smirked coolly. "You will not be making fun of my eyes when I am done with you. Actually, you won't be doing much of anything when I'm done with you, except perhaps bleeding profusely."

* * *

Tenten was very relieved that Neji was facing Naruto first. That meant Neji would at least have some time to rest before he had to fight again. After all, it wasn't as if Naruto was actually going to win. No one would be foolish enough to think that.

But as the fight began, Tenten noticed something very odd. Almost everyone was cheering for Neji.

It was the fact that everyone wasn't that caught Tenten's attention.

There was a small but substantially loud section of the crowd, directly across from her, that was clearly rooting for Naruto. And they weren't crazy, because Tenten actually knew these people.

There were of course Naruto's teammates, Sakura and Sasuke (Sakura was cheering, Sasuke was just glaring), and next to them, their sensei, Kakashi. Just behind them were Shino and his sensei, Kurenai. And behind them were Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, and their sensei, Asuma. Strangely enough, Ino was cheering loudest of all, not for Naruto to win, but for Neji to lose, as if he had somehow personally offended her.

"Don't they know he can't win?" Tenten muttered. "There's no way Naruto could ever beat Neji..."

"There is one way," Hanabi said softly. "And, unfortunately, I think he has found it."

* * *

Neji was in no real hurry to end Naruto's life. He was having far more fun simply dodging all of Naruto's attacks, making him look like the fool he was. But Neji did not intend to waste much more energy by simply toying with Naruto. He had come here to prove he was worthy of becoming a chuunin, and it was time to get down to the business of making an example out of Naruto.

Within seconds, Neji had found a major weakness in his opponent's attacks. Naruto became increasingly frustrated when he couldn't connect. The more frustrated he got, the more likely his hits would miss, which made him even angrier and even less accurate. He was fighting like a wild man, if you could even call it fighting without any hits.

Yet another weakness was that Naruto often overextended his punches, leaving himself unguarded in a huge number of areas. Each one was like a huge target to Neji, and the biggest ones would leave Naruto's arms all but useless for the remainder of the fight. But Neji wanted to humiliate Naruto first, and the best way to do that was to show him how weak he really was... by making him bleed.

It was a simple matter of waiting for another overextension, and then Neji's arm snapped up, backhanding Naruto across the face with with a crack so loud that it seemed to echo throughout the arena. Naruto stumbled back a few steps, and when their eyes met again, his were a little dazed. More importantly, there was a thick stream of blood running from his nose.

Neji didn't allow himself to enjoy the moment. Through the power of the Byakugan, he could see the chakra coils in Naruto's body, and they were practically calling out to him. "Now, the beginning of your end, Uzumaki," he muttered, closing the distance between them with blinding speed.

Oddly enough, Naruto's eyes cleared up just before Neji reached him, but that only meant he was able to jump just out of Neji's path. He had know way of knowing, of course, that Neji had been intending to circle him all along, and that the new positioning only made this easier.

The first two-finger strike caught Naruto in the ribs, and before he had even managed to wince in pain, the next blows were landing rapidly, far too fast for him to possibly block or avoid. Additionally, the pain would seem to be coming from everywhere at once, so he wouldn't even know where to turn to attempt a counterattack.

This would teach him not to take the Hyuuga Clan lightly, Neji thought to himself as he ended the attack with, instead of the usual, firm double-palmed thrust, a simple two-finger, but very forceful poke in the back that sent Naruto to his knees. For some reason, he was in the mood to draw this out. Probably it was that whole bit about looking past him to Sasuke even before the fight had started. There had also been some mention of both Hanabi and Hinata, neither of which Neji cared to discuss, though for entirely different reasons. And that Bright Eyes comment, which had just been childish and annoying.

Yes, Neji definitely wanted to savor this beating.

He was steadily approaching Naruto again, fully ready to give the fool a speech on how he could never change what he was, no matter how thickheaded he was about it, when something unexpected happened. Namely, a fist was driven into his jaw, forcefully cutting off the speech, and indeed, most of Neji's thoughts at the moment.

"I'll say one thing for you, Hyuuga," Naruto panted loudly as he stood, trying to catch his breath. "Your fingers hurt like hell. But maybe you should try fists next time. They're way more effective."

Neji's eyes widened in shock. Naruto should've still been on the ground, struggling to his feet even now. How had he recovered from the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms so quickly? Surely changing the final blow hadn't lessened the impact by that much. Something was very wrong here.

"You're cheating," Neji decided at last. "There's no way you could-"

"Oh, I have to be cheating because your undefeated finger move didn't put me down for the count, huh?" Naruto asked angrily. "Because there's no way a lowly outcast like me could stand up to a genius like you? Well, guess what: I just DID, and if you've got a problem with it, then you'd better do something about it, Bright Eyes! It's the last free shot you'll get in this fight."

Neji's mind was still reeling from the impossibility that stood before him. How had Uzumaki Naruto just shaken off one of the Hyuuga Clan's most advanced and powerful techniques? It just didn't make any sense. It was as if Naruto had some firsthand knowledge of the technique, and even then, there was no way he should've been able to avoid its ultimate effects. The Byakugan had ensured that all sixty-four of Neji's hits connected in the proper spots.

The realization hit Neji like a kunai to the head.

Hinata. She was responsible for this. She had to be. There was no other possible explanation. Naruto couldn't have gotten that lucky on his own. But that begged the question of how Hinata, of all people, had developed an effective defense against the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. There was no way she could've done it just from watching Neji perform it.

Of course, Neji hadn't been so foolish as to show her all of his jutsu. There was, in fact, one he had yet to show anyone, and now seemed like the perfect time to reveal it. Naruto could not be allowed to disrespect the Hyuuga Clan in this manner, no matter how much hatred Neji had for the main house. At the moment, he was far more angry that Hinata had dared to share the clan's secrets with an outcast like Naruto.

"You should be careful what you wish for, Uzumaki," Neji muttered as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "I'm going to honor you with a never-before-seen technique of my own invention. Something your precious Hinata couldn't possibly have warned you about in advance."

Naruto's blue eyes narrowed. "A jerk like you shouldn't even be allowed to say her name."

Neji shook his head. "I wonder how highly you'll think of her, once her little tricks fail you. You'll be on your knees begging for mercy soon enough."

"Gimme your best shot!" Naruto demanded, planting his feet firmly on the floor. "I'll bet you haven't got anything that I can't get up from!"

"A fool's overconfidence is always his downfall, Uzumaki. That will be your final lesson." Neji glared at Naruto's body, being sure to make mental notes of the chakra coil locations this time. He was still certain he hadn't missed them the first time, and that Naruto knew more about that than he was saying, but none of that matter now. There would be no mistakes this time.

At least, that was what Neji kept telling himself, up until his Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms proved to be just as ineffective against Naruto as the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms had been. The increased speed and doubled strikes hadn't made any difference, at least not in the way they were meant to. About the only impact Neji could see was that Naruto was bruised all over, clearly winded, and his flashy orange jacket was hanging off of him in pieces. But Naruto himself remained standing, and from all appearances, would still have the use of his chakra when he did attack again.

"Impossible," Neji whispered in total disbelief. "You should barely be able to move at all by now."

"Well, no one's saying it doesn't hurt to move," Naruto admitted with a grimace. "Guess I'm just making a career out of doing the impossible. And next on the list is beating you!" With that, he reached up and tore off the remains of his jacket, revealing a dark blue shirt underneath. But it was what was on the shirt that immediately drew Neji's attention.

It was Hinata's familiar flame symbol, enlarged to the point where it took up the entire front of Naruto's chest.

Neji was vaguely aware of Naruto saying something, but the words never reached his ears. There were several different emotions he associated with Hinata, but the one that came to the forefront now was rage, and Neji responded accordingly as he launched himself at Naruto. No longer was Neji thinking of the chuunin exam, the honor of his clan, or even personal vengeance. Naruto now represented everything infuriating and disgraceful in his life, and his arrogance could no longer be tolerated.

It didn't matter that there were suddenly five different Narutos, or that the Byakugan confirmed that they were all real enough. Neji attacked them all with equal fervor, and the one that didn't instantly vanish after he struck it became his target. Naruto was backing off, blocking whatever blows he was able to catch in time. But Neji was much faster, although he was no longer making the effort to aim for chakra coils. He only wanted to cause Naruto pain, no matter how he did it. But with the Byakugan still activated, Neji was eventually able to see through his blind rage, and discovered exactly why his previous attacks hadn't been effective.

Naruto's chakra coils were moving, and not just a little. They were actually spasming wildly, like wounded snakes, so fast that it was nearly impossible to pin them down. But it was something Naruto seemed to be doing consciously, and with little notice, since Neji hadn't seen them moving before each of his attacks. They were only moving now to prevent him from hitting any by chance, and indeed, even when he wasn't aiming for them, the coils were never where he struck.

But just as Naruto had found a way around his more damaging attacks, Neji's mind was looking for holes in Naruto's strange defense, and eventually found one. The coils could only avoid the attacks because they were limited to such small impact areas. There would be no way for them to avoid an attack that hit Naruto's entire body all at once.

As soon as he realized this, Neji broke off his attack. He was just wasting energy and causing relatively minor damage in the process.

"You done already?" Naruto asked mockingly. "No more secret techniques you want to show off? No more talk about how you're going to defeat me?"

"My actions will speak for me from now on," Neji replied confidently. "Your fate is to lose this fight, no matter what decisions we make now. No one can escape the path of destiny."

"So it was Hinata's destiny to leave Konoha?"

Neji blinked and frowned. "No. But then, only cowards can escape destiny by removing themselves from the path entirely. There is no honor in it, and that is not the way of a true ninja."

"You're the coward!" Naruto shouted. "Hinata didn't escape her destiny, she just changed it! You and everyone like you is just too stuck up to see it! It takes real guts to make your own path in life! The rest of you are just too chicken to take a chance like she did!" Naruto slapped the symbol on his chest forcefully. "I choose to be like Hinata! Your stupid path says I should be afraid of you, because you're older and stronger! But my path says that'll make for an even bigger victory to rub in your face after I beat you! So say whatever you want about me, but don't you dare talk bad about Hinata when she's not here to defend herself! Doing that only proves you're the real coward, not her!"

"You think you knew her, but you obviously didn't," Neji responded. "She was weak, and anyone that holds the same ideals as her is weak as well. And now I'm going to prove that. It's your turn to show me what you think you can do. But know that your path ends here, Uzumaki."

* * *

Though it pained her to admit it, Hanabi knew that Neji was going to lose. For Uzumaki Naruto, Hinata was a source of strength. He would keep drawing on her for the will to fight. At the same time, Hinata was a source of constant frustration for Neji. And they were both going to keep dragging her back into the picture, because she was really the only thing they had in common. If they had just avoided talking altogether, Neji would have already won. But he was being drawn into the debate, and was unable to resist getting his point across.

The result wasn't really all that shocking to Hanabi, either. She thought she'd seen a flash of something familiar under Naruto's jacket as his name had been called to fight, and the Byakugan had confirmed her suspicion. She wasn't surprised that Neji hadn't noticed it right away. He didn't have Hinata's old jacket hidden under his bed. Nor did he spend several minutes each day just staring at it for no real reason at all.

No, Neji had tried to distance himself from Hinata whenever possible. And perhaps because he had made no real attempt to deal with his feelings for her, they were more problematic than they ever had been before. Hanabi could see no way out of the dilemma for Neji presently. Naruto knew exactly where he stood with Hinata, and so did Hanabi, but Neji did not, and it was eating away at him, slowly but surely. Perhaps after the match, Hanabi could tell him what she knew to be true about Hinata's feelings for him, and what she suspected he had known all along and simply refused to believe. But she doubted he would be in any mood to listen to anyone, even her, after today.

"I am sorry, Neji-oniisan," she whispered. "I do not wish to witness this any longer. You will be humiliated enough without me watching."

Hanabi stood up to leave, but was stopped by a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"Have you given up on him already, Hanabi? I think we owe it to Neji to watch him fight, no matter what the outcome. Whether he should succeed or fail, he must know that we were here to see it."

Reluctantly, Hanabi sat down, this time with her father next to her. She still had no desire to watch the match, but she could not afford to disobey her father, especially not when Hinata's betrayal was still too fresh in their minds.

"I am curious as to why you think Neji will lose," Hiashi admitted after a moment.

Hanabi did not look at him as she answered. "Neji-oniisan has lost his own path. But I suspect this loss will help him find it again."

What she did not say, however, was that Hinata had been part of Neji's path, however unwelcome, and that it was her leaving that had caused him to stray from it.

* * *

Neji smiled as the original Naruto, plus four Shadow Clones, closed in on him. He had lost his way for a while, but now he was certain that he would still win the fight. All he'd needed was a change in tactics.

That, and for Naruto to do something completely predictable, like rely on the use of Shadow Clones yet again. Even better, there was no need to figure out which one was the original Naruto, so long as he was among them.

In an instant, Neji sent his body into a spin, willing chakra out of his body in one enormous wave that slammed into each and every Naruto. Four exploded at once, leaving only Naruto to crash to the ground a few seconds later.

"It would seem Hinata did not prepare you for everything I have to offer," Neji remarked as he approached Naruto's fallen form. "I will admit that you have something in the way of stamina, but that alone is not enough to win."

"Guess you're right," Naruto grunted as he slowly sat up. "I can see I was taking you too lightly. But now it's time to get really serious! I'm gonna have to bring out my super-secret, never before tested jutsu! You better just hope it doesn't kill you instantly!"

"Your empty boasting means nothing to me," Neji sighed, waiting for Naruto to stand up. "Face your end with some dignity."

"Just remember that you forced me into this, Hyuuga! Prepare to face my ultimate forbidden technique!" Naruto shouted as he vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Neji shook his head and merely pierced through the smoke with the Byakugan... and got the shock of his life. With a strangled cry, he quickly backed up, only to receive a devastating blow as Naruto's full weight struck him high in the back, driving them both to the ground hard. Naruto managed to stay on top of Neji as they slid to a stop, and quickly flipped Neji over to face him, pressing a kunai against his neck. "So how'd you like it, Hyuuga? Quite a bit I bet!"

"You... you filthy degenerate!" Neji gasped, his body shuddering with rage. "How dare you... even imply..."

"If it makes you feel any better, I had to make up the specifics myself, but I think they're still pretty accurate. But nothing changes the fact that there wasn't a thing you could do against it!"

"You have no honor, Uzumaki! You deserve every insult that's ever hurled at you in this village, and you always will deserve them!"

"Oh, I've got plenty of honor," Naruto disagreed. "I honor what's important to me: my friends, my dream, and my life. But you don't have any of those things, Hyuuga." He cleaned closer, until his face was only inches from Neji's. "Hinata didn't tell me everything, but she told me about you. How you're supposed to protect her. Well, you did a lousy job if she didn't even feel comfortable and safe in her own home! You talk about family loyalty, but you don't have any! It's your fault Hinata's gone, because she couldn't depend on you to protect her! And now you're completely useless! Without her, there is NOTHING in your life worth protecting!"

Neji's hand was practically a blur as it flew up, driving two fingers deep into the left side of Naruto's chest. His pale lavender eyes filled with murderous intent, Neji whispered only three words.

"Take. It. Back."

Naruto didn't move, nor did he say a word. But he got the distinct impression that he'd just made a huge mistake.

"Take it back," Neji growled through gritted teeth. "Do it, or I swear your heart will explode inside your chest."

This was no bluff. Naruto could feel something cold and dark where Neji's fingers were touching him, as if the process had already begun. He knew there was no other choice.

"I... I take it back."

Neji slowly lowered his fingers. Then his eyes closed, and his body seemed to lose all its strength as he collapsed to the floor.

"He... used everything he had left... just to do that?" Naruto muttered in confusion. He let go of the kunai and slowly stood up, staring down at Neji's unconscious body for a long time. "Guess I was wrong about you, Hyuuga. But what could you possibly have left that you would throw away everything for?"

Naruto still hadn't figured it out when he became aware of a dull roar. He turned to see nearly everyone on their feet, applauding the match. It finally dawned on him that the match was over since Neji couldn't go on. Naruto didn't feel like a winner, though. He felt, instead, as if he'd been spared. Neji could've killed him. But all he'd wanted was for Naruto to take back that last accusation.

Shaking his head slightly, Naruto bent down to pick Neji up. But as he did so, he could hear the triumphant shout of one Yamanaka Ino all the way from her seat.

"And THAT'S what you get for not being seduced by my incredible beauty, Neji!"

* * *

She awoke abruptly from the dream with a gasp, sweat and tears mixing to roll down her face in large drops. "Naruto-kun," she breathed, and then softer, "Neji-niisan..."

Sensing her distress, Akamaru raised his head and whined softly.

Hinata blinked and absently reached out to pet the dog's head. "Just a dream, Akamaru," she murmured, already feeling sleep call to her again. She burrowed deeper into the gray jacket and let the familiar scent of Kiba soothe her worries away. "They're fine," she whispered, closing her eyes again.

Akamaru watched her for a few more minutes before resting his head on his paws and returning to sleep himself.

* * *

Neji was furious with himself as he sat on the edge of a hospital bed. He was still angry at Naruto, of course, but mostly at himself. That he had allowed such a juvenile and perverted jutsu to impact him in such a way was so... shameful.

If only Naruto hadn't disguised himself as Hinata.

Even Tenten would've been better under the circumstances.

And that only brought a darker blush to Neji's cheeks as he checked his neck for cuts. He could find none, which was only a small relief.

Without warning, a vision of a naked Hinata, hidden only partially by clouds (that were no match for the Byakugan, he unfortunately knew now from experience), danced in his head for a few seconds before Neji forced it away with a violent shake.

He was still trying to think of the most boring things possible to keep himself occupied when the door opened.

"Neji-oniisan?"

Neji slowly looked up to see Hanabi staring at him. The weight of her gaze was almost painful, and he turned his head away from her as she stepped into the room.

"Are you in pain?" Hanabi asked shortly. "Is anything broken?"

He closed his eyes. "Only my pride."

"Neji-oniisan... you-"

"I failed. I shamed myself and my clan. And... to lose to him, of all people, in that way..."

There was silence for a long moment.

"I am not ashamed," Hanabi said at last. "I am... proud."

Neji's head snapped up. "Why? How?"

"I watched your lips," she replied. "I heard your words. I know what they meant."

He stared at her, still not sure where she was going with this.

"You defended my honor. More than that, you defended my honor at the cost of your own advancement." Hanabi took a deep breath. "I have never been more proud of you, Neji-oniisan." She stepped closer and carefully slid her arms around him, resting her head lightly against his chest.

Neji found that he was only able to stare down at the top of her head. Even when he recalled how to move, he only felt safe with placing a hand on her shoulder.

That was how Tenten found them as she burst into the room a moment later.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried at once, starting to back out. "I didn't mean to-"

"Come in," Hanabi ordered. "You are his teammate, aren't you?"

Tenten stared hesitantly at Neji before entering, and he felt his cheeks warming again as he quickly looked down.

"I wanted to be sure you were okay, Neji," Tenten murmured. "I couldn't really see what was in that cloud, so... I didn't know if you-"

"I'm... fine, Tenten," he interrupted gently. "Thank you, for... being concerned about me." For no reason at all, he then added, "As a teammate."

Tenten's eyes widened. "What? Neji, no! I... I mean..."

"Yes?" Neji asked, sensing she was about to say something important.

"It wasn't... just that," Tenten whispered uncomfortably. "You're more than just a teammate to me. Please, don't think it was only that."

"Then what was it?"

She hesitated again, glancing at Hanabi. "Do you think we could-"

Hanabi sighed. "I will tell otou-sama that you are still resting," she said as she slipped out and closed the door behind her.

Tenten bit her lip nervously, and she suddenly decided to move closer to him, sitting beside Neji on the edge of the bed. There were only a few inches between them, and Neji was distinctly aware of that. Probably it had something to do with the idea of her being naked in his head a few minutes ago.

"Neji... you and Lee... I don't just think of you as teammates. We've been together for a while now. You're all like family to me. Gai-sensei is like a second father, Lee is like a brother..." She paused. "And then there's you."

"What about me?" Neji asked slowly.

"You are... everything I'd want to be, if I were a boy." Tenten shook her head slightly. "No, that's wrong. You are everything I want to be even now. You're strong, intelligent, honorable... you're perfect."

It was such an odd compliment, especially coming from Tenten, that Neji wasn't sure quite how to take it. Fortunately, he didn't need to say anything just yet, because she wasn't done.

"Can I ask... why you don't look at me anymore? Or why you won't talk to me like you used to? We used to talk about nearly everything. I... I really miss that."

"Because every time I look at you," Neji replied quietly, "I remember that day. And I can't imagine that the same doesn't apply to you."

"Neji..." she whispered. Tenten's hand gently covered his own. "That's not what I think about when I look at you. Didn't you just hear me? You're perfect to me." She reached up and turned his head towards her. "You could never be weak in my eyes."

"But... the way you cried out... the way you looked at me-"

"I was worried, Neji! Not because I thought you were weak, but because I thought I might lose you! You told me that under certain conditions, the Cursed Seal could kill you! I thought Hinata was going to take you away from us. And I couldn't just stand there and let her do it. You're too important to me. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life."

"I... I don't understand," Neji said at last. "If you felt that way, why wouldn't you look at me the same?"

"Because... my feelings were out in the open. At least, I thought they were." Tenten blushed slightly. "You looked at me differently, too. I thought you knew how I felt, and just didn't want to deal with it. I wanted to talk to you, but I was afraid."

"What are your feelings, exactly?"

Tenten obviously didn't trust herself to be able to express her feelings through words. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Neji's neck, pressing her lips to his ear. "Just let me be near you, Neji. You don't have to do anything. Nothing has to change if you don't want it to. I just want to be a part of your life."

Neji didn't know what to think. How could he not have known that she felt this way? Was it that he just hadn't seen it, or that she had been hiding it until now? He didn't dare ask her. But he also felt obligated to say or do something to let Tenten know how he felt. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped one arm around her waist. He felt her body tense against him, even as he heard what might have been a whimper directly in his ear. Tenten's arms tightened around his neck, enough for Neji to know that the mere act of returning her embrace both pleased and frightened her. She obviously hadn't been expecting him to react that way.

"Tenten," he said softly in her ear, and another whimper (he was sure that's what it was now) was her immediate response. Clearly, talking to her this way was pointless, so he drew back enough to see Tenten's face, which was bright red. "Tenten," he repeated, "I accept your feelings for me. I will not act as if they do not exist, or as if I am not aware of them. I do not know when or if I will ever be able to return them, but I will not discard you either way. You have my word on this."

"Thank you, Neji," Tenten murmured, her eyes growing damp. It was hard to tell whether she was sad, pleased, or both at the time, but it was the best reaction he could hope for under the circumstances.

Neji gently brushed the start of tears from her from eyes, and Tenten's eyes closed, a serene smile on her face as she leaned into his hand. It was certainly not an unpleasant feeling, so he did not pull away.

"Neji," she said softly. "When Hanabi was hugging you... was that your reward, for doing your best in the match?"

He considered that for a few seconds. "That's one way of putting it."

"May I reward you, too?" she asked hopefully.

It was a trap. Neji could see that perfectly well, even without the Byakugan activated. And yet, for some unknown reason, he felt his head bob up and down in a nod, almost eagerly.

Tenten's brown eyes lit up, and she gently seized his face with her hands. She slowly leaned in close, as he'd known she would, her eyes drifting shut as he felt her warm breath against his lips.

The world slowed to a crawl as a multitude of emotions rushed through Neji. The prominent ones seemed to fear and confusion, but a very hazy surge of satisfaction eventually overtook him, and by then it only seemed natural to close his eyes and let Tenten have her way with his mouth.

And for the first time since the match, Neji could say with certainty that he was definitely not thinking about Hinata.

* * *

There was very little that could surprise Morino Ibiki, as he'd been through a great deal in his twenty-seven years of life. And yet he was very surprised when the man that stopped him on the street turned out to be Hatake Kakashi.

"Let me guess," Ibiki said before Kakashi could speak. "There's only two reasons you could possibly want to talk to me. Either you've had a change of heart, which I doubt, or you want something from me."

"Just making conversation," Kakashi replied with a rather relaxed blink of his eye.

Ibiki crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't even bother playing head games with me, Kakashi. I do it for a living. What do you need?"

"I want to know if ANBU is going to do anything about Hyuuga Hinata."

"And why ask me?" Ibiki demanded. "You've got much better connections in ANBU than I do."

"I did, once," Kakashi admitted. "But that's not why I'm asking you. Very few people are actually aware of why she left. And if anyone in charge ever wanted to know why-"

"They'd bring me in," Ibiki finished with a frown. "What's your point?"

For a few seconds, Kakashi said nothing, and Ibiki could tell the man knew he was taking a chance by saying more.

"She's just a girl, Ibiki. More than that, she's a girl who doesn't like to fight. She ran from a family that didn't want her anyway. Yes, it's a crime, but it shouldn't be. There's no need to pursue it the way they're going to. But I'm not the only one with connections around here, so they will."

"Are you asking me to be merciful, Kakashi? Last time I checked, it wasn't in the job description."

"I would never ask that. But I know you know an innocent soul when you see one. So I will only say this: if you see her, look into her heart before you condemn her. If you truly believe that she deserves what you know you can do to her mind, then do it. But if you have any doubts about being able to look yourself in the mirror afterwards, consider your options carefully."

"As you can imagine, I've learned to deal with quite a bit when I look into the mirror," Ibiki pointed out.

Kakashi blinked, taking in Ibiki's scarred face slowly. "I don't doubt that. But you were a man when you got those scars, Ibiki. Could you have handled it as a boy? Before you answer, just do me one favor. I want you to keep a close eye on Hyuuga Neji. Then you tell me you can't see why that girl had to run the way she did."

Ibiki grunted to himself as Kakashi walked away. This actually wasn't the first time someone had told him to pay attention to the Hyuuga boy. This time, he actually would, but not because of Kakashi. Ibiki knew what it meant to truly be betrayed, and indeed, he saw that when he did dare to look in a mirror. But the girl had left in the night, and had raised a hand to no one. It didn't sound like betrayal. It sounded exactly like what Kakashi had called it: running away.

And sometimes, Ibiki knew, that was all you could do to keep everything around you from falling apart.

* * *

_At Some Point in the Near Future…_

The trouble with dreams, Hinata decided, was that they sometimes had ways of spilling over into the waking world and making things ambiguous. For a solid week now, she'd had the exact same dream, over and over again each night. It was almost as if someone were trying to tell her something.

And for the first time in a while, it wasn't Kiba. His presence she would've recognized right away. But this was someone else... not quite as familiar, and very different, but familiar all the same.

She had been asleep at the base of a tree that first night the dream came. The woods had been exceptionally dark, too, but since it made for more places to hide, she hadn't thought it suspicious at all.

Without warning, a figure in black loomed over her, staring at her sleeping form with the oddest expression on its face. It seemed to combine both jealousy and kinship, though Hinata had never seen such a look before.

"You must live," said the rough voice. "For now. For him."

The figure drew what seemed to be a sword, raised it high in the air, and quickly drove it into the ground next to Hinata's head, though she didn't even stir.

"You must live," the voice repeated, softer this time, and there was a strange flash of red as the figure in black turned and retreated into the darkness.

That had been the end of the dream, but not the end of the mystery. For when Hinata woke up the next morning, the first thing she saw was a huge, white staff embedded into the ground, not an inch from her face. Upon pulling it up, she found that it was actually some sort of bone, with a sharpened base, and two sharp tips extending slightly from the blunt, rounded top.

Akamaru had taken one sniff at it and growled, tossing his head irritably. Normally, that would've been reason enough for her to leave the staff. But Hinata couldn't shake the feeling that while her visitor certainly hadn't been Kiba, they were still trying to protect her. Anyway, she had been thinking of obtaining some sort of weapon to practice with.

With each night that it returned, the dream became clearer. Hinata was now certain that the red flash toward the end had actually been a matching set of red eyes, glowing in the darkness. As for the voice, she had definitely heard it before. And if it belonged to who she thought it did, that only made things more confusing.

But each time that bone staff had been the difference maker in a particularly tough encounter, Hinata was glad she'd kept it. Akamaru still didn't like the smell of it, but he'd finally stopped growling at her every time she picked it up.

There was a chance that it had only been a dream, and that the staff had been there even when she'd first fallen asleep. But Hinata chose not to believe that. Instead, for each time that the staff saved her life, she would merely grip it tightly and murmur, "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. I will live."

**End of Part 4.**

* * *

Endnotes:

If you couldn't tell, everyone but Hana, Neji, and Hanabi is lying to protect Hinata during the trial. While everyone else has a sense of loyalty to Hinata, Hana doesn't. She barely knows Hinata, doesn't appreciate being lied to, and isn't willing to lie to the Council for her. This isn't to say she hates Hinata, just that she tells the whole truth as she knows it, which happens to help the inquisitor's case.

If you're wondering why Ino is so pissed at Neji, in the anime she tried to seduce him during the second stage of the chuunin exam (so he wouldn't beat up her team and take their scroll). Needless to say, it didn't work; Neji didn't attack them or take their scroll, but only because he didn't want to get a reputation for taking the easy way out and picking on weaklings. I think Ino was more offended that he didn't find her attractive.

I've seen one picture of Danzou, and age was the first thing that jumped out at me. If he's not older than Hiashi, he definitely didn't age as well. And while Danzou's opinion of both Itachi and Hinata is meant to play off of the idea that he's a warhawk, there might be some truth in his perspective (at least concerning Itachi's fixation on the destruction of his clan).

The original version of the Neji/Naruto fight has Neji blocking off Naruto's chakra channels, and Naruto tapping into a secondary source as a way around it. Now, I don't see anything WRONG with that. But my way assumes Naruto actually uses his brain occasionally. Yes, he's impulsive, but I don't think he's stupid, and I think he can win a fight or two without a lot of help from Kyuubi. Although I admit that probably the only way Naruto could manipulate his chakra so expertly is because of Kyuubi's presence in him.

Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms exists in both the anime and a Naruto game, though I'm told it was in the game first. I know some people are down on the anime and don't consider moves that originate there "official," but I look at it this way. When you consider how many blunders there are in the translated manga (at least the one I've seen), which supposedly IS official, sometimes you're actually MUCH safer with referring to the anime and all of its mistakes (I'd even bet money on the idea that some fans would watch the anime just for the sake of getting the "total" Naruto experience). And saying Neji couldn't create a move like this is taking away from his genius and ability, both of which are far more developed when compared to the average member of the Rookie Nine (Naruto and Sasuke being exceptions in ability, of course).

Yes, that was a VERY dirty trick Naruto played on Neji. Desperate times call for desperate measures (and jutsu that definitely should be forbidden. Bad Naruto!). I suppose you could call it the Sexy Hinata Jutsu. Naruto wasn't pulling the measurements from memory, he just used his imagination. Keep in mind that Naruto's Harem Jutsu makes use of Shadow Clones (actual bodies that can fool the Byakugan), so as far as Neji knew at the time, what he saw was real, in triplicate (and therefore really, really, really disturbing, as opposed to just really disturbing). I know Naruto doesn't usually imitate other females, but he did prove to have mastered the Clone Jutsu by the end of the fight. If nothing else, Sakura might have shown it to him between episodes just to keep him from embarrassing her more than he already did.

Only people with the Byakugan could see through Naruto's smokescreen (with ease, anyway), which was his intent all along. And I don't think those three are going to tell anyone else what they saw. Telling would be admitting you saw it in the first place, after all.

If his name sounds familiar, Morino Ibiki is the scarred commander of ANBU's Torture and Interrogation Force that designed the written portion of the chuunin exam. I just envision Kakashi as an especially well-known ninja, and his face (maybe 'head' is a better term here) is pretty distinctive. The odds of an adult not knowing him on sight should be slim, especially if that person joined ANBU at any time during or after Kakashi's service. Ibiki is only a year older, so odds are they've at least crossed paths before.

* * *


	5. In Service to Sand

Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me, I'm not getting paid, this is for entertainment purposes only (except "entertainers" usually get paid, so technically I suppose this can't even be considered "real" entertainment. It's volunteer work. Though I do consider reviews payment for services rendered... coughcough.)

Notes: In the tradition of Naruto, I'm timeskipping. By a BIT more than two and a half years. I like to call it a nod to the canon. You'll probably call it laziness, but it's not as if I'm leaving you completely in the dark here. Stuff happened. Taxes were no doubt paid. Some people died, though no one that actually mattered to the story. Consider yourself caught up. Yes, I'm totally serious. Enjoy.

WARNING: Before you begin reading this chapter, be aware that Part 4 has been revised, specifically Hiashi and Danzou's conversation, as well as a new ending scene featuring a certain Uchiha. If you can't figure out why Temari is here, you might want to read "Building Clan Uzumaki." Go on, I'll wait until you get back...

**In Service to Sand**

**Part 5 of White Dog Night**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

* * *

The problem with having a family, Temari decided as she carefully signed her name to the scroll, was their tendency to grow larger, and then expect you to just do things for each and every member upon demand, free of charge.

It was getting to be downright annoying.

Probably she should practice saying 'no' a few times while she was out here in the woods, forcefully, and without a hint of regret. She could definitely pull that off with Kankurou. Maybe with Gaara. If he wasn't actually looking at her. Or within twenty feet of her.

Maybe.

Sighing in frustration, she rolled up the scroll neatly before completing the task with the seal of the Godaime Kazekage. Only she and Kankurou had been given Gaara's seal to mark messages meant for his eyes only. Kankurou had probably never even used his, as he so rarely left Gaara or Suna these days. Temari, as the oldest sibling (and the only female) probably reminded Gaara more of a mother than a sister, and perhaps that was why he didn't seem to mind sending her far from Suna to do one thing or another on his behalf.

She took it in stride, since all the travel had gained her, and by extension, Suna, some loyal allies. Her thoughts turned briefly to Konoha, and summoned memories of Naruto, Shikamaru, and even Neji, who hated her with a passion, but would back her in a fight if the need ever arose. Temari no longer even pretended that she didn't like going there, and by now Gaara had surely figured it out. It was her home away from home, thanks largely to Naruto's hospitality, and despite the fact that she'd seen him just three days ago, she was already eager to get back and tell him all about her trip, assuming it went well.

"Alright, you know the drill, Takamaru," Temari said, turning to the large bird perched on a log beside her. "Take this straight to Gaara." She slipped the scroll into the small pack he wore on his back, making sure to give his head a few light strokes before he took to the air. When he was little more than a brown speck in the sky, she quickly packed up her things and started walking through the forest at a fairly rapid pace.

Takamaru had shown up in Konoha three days ago, bringing word from Gaara. That he had wanted her to do something was no real surprise, but it was what he wanted her to do that Temari still wasn't so sure about.

For years now, there had been talk of a "Woodland Woman of Konoha" roaming the area. This was odd, in that the woman had no allegiance to Konoha, and in fact generally ambushed and robbed ninja from any and every Hidden Village that she came across. However, the huge white beast she was always spotted with reportedly wore a Leaf headband around its neck. Gaara had only charged Temari with finding the woman because she'd recently attacked Sand-nin for the first time. Strangely, she had only taken things that the Sand-nin would barely miss at all, and left them mostly unharmed.

Temari was hesitant for three reasons. First, no one had been able to stop this woman, which was part of why she'd become so infamous. Second, the woman wasn't doing any real harm, just being a minor nuisance. Finally, Temari had a very strong feeling that this Woodland Woman was actually Hinata. Whether Gaara thought the same or not, she wasn't sure. He usually didn't pay all that much attention to people unless they got in his way, and true to her nature, Hinata never had. But from what Temari had heard around Konoha, Hinata had taken a white dog with her when she left, and no other Hidden Village had gained a Byakugan user since then. Hinata might not call herself a Leaf-nin anymore, but she was clearly incapable of betraying Konoha even now.

There were also Naruto's feelings to consider. Temari hadn't actually told him who she was looking for, in case the mission went bad, or it turned out to be someone else. She could always claim that Gaara had ordered her not to share the details (with Gaara, sharing information was always on a need-to-know basis, and rarely did anyone without his blood in them need to know), but that would leave her feeling guilty. On the other hand, if things went well, it would make for a great surprise for Naruto. But it was probably for the best that she hadn't said anything. If it really wasn't Hinata, then he'd never have to find out.

* * *

Temari absolutely hated fighting shinobi who kept animals around, and for good reason. They were nearly impossible to sneak up on, and you could never really depend on the animal to simply sit back and watch its master get attacked. And while taking on multiple opponents was nothing new for her, animals tended to be too unpredictable in battle.

Unfortunately, there was no avoiding it this time. The Woodland Woman supposedly never went anywhere without her faithful beast, and whether she was really clever or just paranoid, Temari was in for a tough fight either way.

Surprisingly enough, it didn't take her all that long to pick up the trail. If anything, it seemed as if the woman and her beast had been taking every opportunity to mark their territory. Anyone that wanted to find them easily could, and the trail must have been an open challenge for anyone who felt like testing their strength. It was a bold move, and one that only made Temari further question the wisdom of attacking the woman on her own turf. But it wasn't as if she could turn back now. Gaara was counting on her, and she wouldn't let him down without an excellent reason (like having both of her arms chewed off by the beast, for example).

It was an amazing stroke of good luck (at least, it seemed like one at the time) that Temari happened upon the Woodland Woman while she was in the middle of a nap. The description Gaara had gotten from the attacked Sand-nin matched the woman perfectly: long, blue-black hair, a tan coat, and beneath that, various pieces of outfits she'd stolen from her victims. She was curled up against the huge white beast, which looked more like an overgrown puppy to Temari, but it was still easily the biggest dog she'd ever seen, and definitely one of the largest animals she'd ever come across, period.

At this point, Temari reasoned that avoiding a fight was still possible. If she got any closer, the beast would probably smell her and alert the woman. Of course, that was only assuming they themselves weren't looking for a fight, because if they were, Temari's pride wasn't about to allow her to take a dive just to see what the woman would do afterwards.

She was still debating how to best announce her intentions when there was a thunderous crack just above her head. Reacting instantly, Temari rolled away from the tree she'd been hiding behind, barely avoiding three kunai that landed where she'd been crouching seconds ago. She cursed under her breath as an exact copy of the woman she'd been watching dropped gracefully out of the tree, wielding a sinister-looking white staff. There was no sign of the telltale Hyuuga eyes on this woman, though: her eyes were small, black, and beady, and there was no recognition in them that Temari could see.

"You know," Temari said slowly, "throwing kunai at someone isn't really a good way to introduce yourself. You might send the wrong impression."

Without a word, the woman drew herself to her full height, another kunai slipping from the sleeve of her coat and into her left hand.

"Okay, maybe that is the impression you want to send." Sighing, Temari quickly drew her fan from her back. She would've liked to turn around and check if the first woman (not to mention the dog) were still where she'd first spotted them, but she doubted it. They had probably just been a harmless distraction... but in case they weren't, she needed to be very much aware of her environment, which would be tricky if someone were throwing kunai at her.

But the woman didn't throw the kunai in her hand. Instead, she raised it in front of her face, and suddenly made a slashing motion.

Temari was already moving as she felt something nick her left shoulder. But at the same time, she felt similar sensations in her neck and both of her legs. Yet none of them felt even remotely like kunai, in that they were too small and didn't do much damage at all. They reminded her more of large bug bites, and seconds later, she could feel them starting to drip with tiny droplets of her blood.

The woman hadn't moved, though, and when she made that same slashing motion again, Temari didn't bother getting out of the way. Cuts opened up on her left cheek this time, but still bothered her no more than a few itches. Somehow, she got the distinct feeling that the woman was toying with her. And if there was one thing Temari couldn't stand, it was anyone underestimating her.

"You'd better start taking me seriously!" the Sand jounin yelled angrily, tightening her grip on her fan. "I never hold back when I've been insulted in battle!" With that, she opened her fan and swung it forward with her left hand, sending large gusts of chakra-fueled wind at her opponent. But with her right hand, she sent out a solid, blue blade of wind that bounced wildly between the gusts, making the attack even more difficult to dodge.

Amazingly, the woman made no move to get out of the way. Instead, she merely raised her left hand over her head. A huge white blur instantly shot out of the trees, and the woman was yanked bodily from the ground as it passed her, sailing neatly over Temari's attack.

The blur slowed down for a split second as it rebounded off of a tree, and Temari cursed under her breath as she got a better look: the dog had finally joined the fight. The woman was hanging onto the headband around the dog's neck as the canine practically flew from tree to tree at startling speeds, but from the calm look on her face, it was nothing she hadn't done before.

Realization came to Temari quickly, and sure enough, the dog was suddenly turning, fangs bared as it raced towards her. She managed to leap out of the animal's way... but not out of the woman's reach, as she felt the sharp tip of the staff graze the side of her arm, drawing blood. The woman threw a satisfied smirk over her shoulder just as she and the dog vanished into the cover of the trees again.

By now, Temari was convinced that the woman wasn't trying to kill her. That was too many times she'd been caught off guard, and the woman never took full advantage. But it was a bit difficult to accept that anyone would go to all this trouble to steal a few pieces of gear (and if that was all the woman wanted, it wasn't like Temari couldn't easily get more).

Temari began to scan the trees when she caught something truly odd. There was a long, white hair waving lazily on her arm, and it certainly hadn't grown there. She picked it off, and was surprised when the tip emerged red from her blood.

"What the hell? She's been throwing dog hairs at me?" Temari asked in disbelief. But her mind was already putting the pieces together: probably the hairs were hardened and guided by the woman's chakra, and while they didn't hurt, they were a bit distracting. And since Temari had never seen the woman pulling the hairs from the dog, they must have already been embedded in her coat. All she'd had to do was make it look like she was throwing kunai, when she was actually pulling and throwing... dog hair.

"Gaara's never going to believe this," Temari muttered, stuffing the hair into her sash for proof later on.

The woman reappeared seconds later, but without the dog. She made the slashing motion a third time, and Temari half-heartedly raised her fan to block. All of the cuts centered on her defending hand, and her fingers were slick with blood when she lowered it.

"Look, I'm tired of playing with you. Just tell me why you attacked those Sand-nin!" Temari shouted.

The woman's answer did not come in words. As if she knew Temari had figured out her trick, she drew a single, chakra-hardened dog hair, and used it to prick her finger. Keeping her eyes on Temari, she raised her hand, revealing the blood slipping slowly between her fingers.

Temari's eyes widened, because she had seen similar sights enough times in her life.

The woman was about to perform a summoning.

The idea was only shocking because she'd thought the woman was just teasing her until now. Now that she knew different, Temari wasn't about to be caught unaware again.

And that was when she remembered that her own fingers were already wet with blood from the woman's last attack.

"She wants me to summon with her," Temari whispered, growing angrier by the second. Had this woman been manipulating her from the start? How had this woman even known that she could summon, too?

It didn't really matter, she decided at once. Kamatari would bring this to a swift end, and then all her questions would be answered.

Smirking, Temari wiped her fingers along her fan, smearing her blood across the weapon. "Just remember you asked for this." She paused, wondering how her opponent would proceed.

The woman did not wipe her blood on a tattoo, nor did she pull out a weapon or a scroll. Instead, she merely held out her dripping fingers expectantly, her palm facing down.

In another blur of white, the dog returned, sliding just under the woman's outstretched fingers. When the dog skidded to a stop, Temari noticed with growing alarm that there was a red streak of blood going down the length of its back.

"Wait! He is the summon! But that doesn't make any sense!"

The dog threw back its head, letting out a howl that seemed to come from everywhere at once. His body exploded into a swirling vortex of silvery-white wind and deafening roars, drawing everything in the immediate area into its fury: trees, rocks, dirt, grass, and even the woman herself.

Temari was pulled roughly into the air before she could complete her own summoning, her fan ripped away from her fingers and lost in the powerful winds. Even then, she had no intention of losing this battle. Shutting her eyes tightly, she willed a substantial amount of chakra into her throat, and let it combine with her voice in a final, desperate plea.

"Kamatari! Come to me!"

Even if the roar of the wind prevented Kamatari from hearing her, Temari knew the weasel would still detect the buildup of her chakra, and the intent behind it. Now it was just a matter of whether or not Kamatari could still appear without her actually holding the fan.

She got her answer when something furry brushed against her cheek, wrapping firmly around her body. Temari dared to open her eyes, swallowing a gasp when she found the familiar white figure looming before her, surrounded by seven sickles giving off an eerie, pale blue light. "Kamatari," she breathed, more out of amazement than relief, "you came?"

The giant weasel gazed over its shoulder at her, the one good eye quivering with rage. At first, Temari thought the anger was directed at her, but then she noticed the way Kamatari's eye was shifting back and forth rapidly, taking in the various parts of her body that were stained with her blood. She felt the tail tighten ever so slightly around her waist, in a way that Temari knew was meant to convey the weasel's fierce desire to protect her. Unable to suppress the sudden surge of affection she felt for faithful companion, Temari smiled and gave the tail a brief stroke. "Thank you, Kamatari," she whispered. "I'll never doubt you again."

But Kamatari wasn't looking at Temari anymore. Now the weasel's steely gaze was trained solely on the tornado currently bearing down on them. Kamatari clearly had no intention of backing down from any threat, and certainly not one that dared to attack with its own element. At a mere gesture from the weasel, the seven sickles launched themselves at the approaching storm, each one vanishing into the tornado at a different point. And while the winds did not cease, they certainly weakened considerably, which was just the opportunity Kamatari had been looking for. After a giant sickle that easily dwarfed the others had appeared in its paws, Kamatari streaked forward, still clutching Temari with its tail.

Temari allowed herself a satisfied smirk, but it wouldn't last. For just as Kamatari was about to split the storm down the middle, something long and white shot out of the tornado, aimed directly at Temari. There was no way that Kamatari could complete the attack while keeping its summoner out of harm's way, nor could it move Temari completely out of the projectile's path without losing most of the attack's momentum.

Certain that they were on the verge of victory, Temari took the choice out of Kamatari's paws. Taking in a deep breath, she slipped out of the tail's grasp, twisting enough so that the projectile (which turned out to be that damned staff again) only struck a glancing blow on her left side. Oddly enough, though there was hardly any blood, Temari still felt like her side was on fire as she fell through the air. But she largely ignored the pain in favor of making sure she landed in a way that wouldn't worsen her wounds.

She never got the chance, as something crashed hard into her belly, driving the air out of her an instant before her back slammed into the ground. Stars swam before Temari's eyes, and a groan slipped from her lips as she suppressed the instinctive desire to shake her head, in case her neck was broken or close to it. The painful haze cleared just in time for her to look up and see the woman straddling her waist, raising a kunai high into the air.

The idea that this woman didn't intend to kill her was quickly forgotten as Temari lashed out desperately. All too late, she saw the woman flip the kunai before starting to bring it down so that the heavy handle would score a quick knockout upon impacting with the Sand jounin's forehead. But Temari's fist was already plowing into the woman's chin before that could happen, snapping her head back violently and sending a thin stream of red flying from her mouth. To her credit, instead of just collapsing to the ground, the woman managed to right herself, though there was a dazed look in her small, black eyes.

Eyes that, Temari noticed with growing shock, suddenly enlarged and lightened in color until they were a familiar milky lavender.

"Hinata?" she asked in disbelief. "It was you this whole time?"

The woman seemed to regain her senses at the sound of that name, but the look in her Hyuuga eyes was no less hostile than it had been mere seconds ago.

"You don't remember me?" Temari guessed slowly. They never had really spoken to each other, now that she thought about it. In fact, she could only remember aiming a superior glare at Hinata during the chuunin exam... and if Hinata did remember that, as Temari now suspected she did, no wonder there was tension between them.

"I remember you," the woman said quietly. "But you say that... as if I should be happy to see you."

Temari was already wracking her brain for a way to diffuse the situation. With any luck, Hinata had been out of the loop for a long time, so the chances of her knowing everything that happened after the second stage of the chuunin exam were pretty slim. "Oh. Well, you're not going to take that personally, are you? I mean, it was the chuunin exam. We weren't there to make friends, at least not during. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the exam was designed to be fatal. Are you really so surprised that some of the people taking it were willing to kill?"

Hinata's knee dug into Temari's left side, drawing a pained hiss. "No. But there should always be a good reason for killing. And unlike your teammate, I don't believe that boredom or looking at someone a certain way are good reasons."

"Look, we've changed since then," Temari insisted, gritting her teeth. "Me more than him, but we have. You don't need to feel threatened by me. Like I told you, I only came here to find out why you attacked those Sand-nin. I was ordered to by the Kazekage." She certainly wasn't about to confirm that Gaara actually was the Kazekage now, if Hinata was already that set against him.

"Why should I believe you?" Hinata demanded.

"There's a scroll in my pack with the order. And if you let me up, I can give you even more proof that I'm not here to hurt you."

"I don't trust you enough for the latter, but we'll get to that in a minute."

Temari stiffened as the huge dog suddenly appeared over Hinata's shoulder. She had forgotten all about the battle, and wasn't sure which summon had finally beaten the other, or if they'd canceled each other out somehow. The beast looked pretty rattled at least, and there was a deep cut on one of its ears. The dog dropped Temari's pack on the ground, and Hinata grabbed it, never taking her eyes off of the Sand kunoichi she had pinned beneath her. She soon pulled out the scroll, reading it a few times before laying it to the side.

"You came here from Konoha," Hinata said, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Yeah," Temari agreed easily enough; that much had been in the scroll. "I told you, things have changed. I've been there for years."

"Then you know Hyuuga Hanabi?"

Temari couldn't help snorting. "Of course not, almost no one does. She never says more than two words to most people. I only know of her, and that's only because Neji-"

"You know Neji?" Hinata asked sharply.

Temari blinked a few times. "Sure. I was the one who certified him as a jounin."

For some reason, that seemed bother Hinata more than anything else. Her hands were shaking as she slowly stood up and moved away.

"I should have guessed he would..." She trailed off, closing her eyes tightly.

Temari almost decided this was a good time to get up, but as she started to move, the dog was suddenly in her face, growling softly enough that she knew he wouldn't bite in that instant, but loudly enough that she got the hint to stop moving. But then the dog sniffed her and let out a confused whine, quickly backing away from her.

Now Hinata was looking at her as well, though Temari couldn't imagine what the dog had smelled on her that might cause a problem. All the same, she managed to keep her mouth shut when Hinata leaned in to sniff her next. And from the way the missing-nin's pale eyes narrowed, she didn't like what she picked up, either.

"You smell like Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered angrily, her voice thick with emotion.

"I... what?" Temari asked, completely lost. "How could I-"

"That," Hinata interrupted, "is what I wish to know."

Temari looked between Hinata and the dog before the implication sunk in. "Oh, hey, wait. You don't think that I...?"

Hinata said nothing, but the look in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Look, you're getting the wrong idea," Temari said quickly. "If I smell like him, it's only because I lived with him."

This, if the way the dog started growling was any indicator, was not the best thing to say.

"No, wait! You don't understand! He asked me to! He was lonely, and he just wanted to be near someone! We didn't do anything, honest!"

"In case you've forgotten," Hinata snapped coldly, "I still have little reason to trust you. Especially now."

"There's a picture... in my pack. And three patches near the bottom."

Temari waited in silence as Hinata dug into the pack again. Soon enough, Hinata was staring at a photo, the hard look on her face fading somewhat. At the time the picture was taken, Temari had never really thought she'd find it useful for more than remembering a particularly loud and drunken celebration.

She hadn't drunken much, but in honor of their sensei Kakashi's promotion, Naruto and Sakura had, to the point where Temari was forced to hold them both up long enough for the picture to be taken. Even then, they both still had silly grins plastered on their faces. What would really get Hinata's attention, however, was the fact that Konohamaru had talked Hanabi into joining them, and so she sat beside Kakashi, equally embarrassed expressions on both of their faces (or at least on what could be seen of Kakashi's face, anyway).

Temari knew that Hinata wasn't stupid. It would only take her a few seconds to remember that Hanabi would never go anywhere with someone she didn't trust, and that Kakashi wouldn't have allowed his students to get drunk around anyone he saw as a threat.

The patches were what seemed to ease most of Hinata's fears, and this was not surprising. Naruto had made them himself, so they most probably still smelled like him as well. All three patches bore the words "Uzumaki Retrieval Project" around their borders (despite Temari's insistence that it sounded like Naruto was the one being retrieved, he was immensely proud of the name and stubbornly refused to change it). One patch simply had chibified versions of Sasuke and Hinata in front of the Konoha Leaf, while the other patches held either the Uchiha fan or Hinata's old flame symbol, surrounded by the familiar red swirl.

After several long moments, Hinata finally looked up, and asked the very same question that everyone (that is, Shikamaru, Sakura, Kurenai, and Kakashi) asked after seeing the patches for the first time.

"U.R.P.?"

"I didn't come up with the stupid name," Temari muttered. "He won't be talked out of it, either. I guess it's all too important to him or something." She paused, staring intently at Hinata's face. "I just thought you should know that he never forgot about you."

Hinata didn't say anything, although there was a slight blush in her cheeks that seemed entirely fitting, somehow.

"If you're still worried about me and Naruto, you can ask him yourself the next time you see him. And you are going to see him eventually, because now that I've found you, I'm not letting you out of my sight, and I don't plan on going the rest of my life without seeing him, either."

"No." Hinata swallowed hard and stood up. "I can't ever go back. After all the hunter-nin they've sent for me, I wouldn't be able to set foot inside the village. Even Naruto-kun couldn't-"

"And who said anything about taking you home?" Temari interrupted. "Not to your home, anyway. We're going to Suna. You still have to answer to the Kazekage for what you did."

Hinata shook her head. "I only stole what I needed to survive. That's what I've always done."

"So why did you attack me?"

A small smile appeared on Hinata's lips as she petted the dog's neck. "That was necessary, too. Akamaru told me you smelled strong. I wouldn't be good enough to survive out here if I didn't challenge the strongest people I came across. You're the first person that had a summon powerful enough to overwhelm him."

Temari smirked at her. "Flattery might have worked before you attacked me. Now, it's just annoying."

"I am being truthful," Hinata insisted. "But I cannot go with you. I will not align myself with another Hidden Village."

"I said I was taking you there, not recruiting you," Temari reminded her. "Anyway, Gaara hates people looking at him, and with your eyes, he'd just think you were looking all the time, so I wouldn't dare think of keeping you there for long."

"I will fight you again if I have to," Hinata said slowly, and Akamaru tensed at her side.

"Would you stop that?" Temari groaned in frustration. "I don't want to hurt you! I'm here to help you!"

"You would force me to go to Suna and stand before the Kazekage. How is that helping me?" Hinata demanded.

"Because if you don't go, you'll probably be declared an enemy of Suna, and the next time we met, I really would have to hurt you. But if you come with me willingly and present your case to the Kazekage, there's a good chance you won't be punished at all. He might even be able to help you return to Konoha one day."

"You have yet to give me a good enough reason why I should trust you or the Kazekage." With that, Hinata turned to walk away.

Before she had any real idea of what she was doing, Temari leapt to her feet and flung herself at Hinata's back. She was only inches away before a solid mass of white fur bumped her left side hard, and Temari swallowed a pained gasp as she hit the ground none too gently.

"No... I won't let it end like this..." Ignoring the pain and exhaustion gnawing at her body, Temari stood up again, slightly satisfied to see that Hinata was staring back at her in surprise. But then, she probably looked as tired as she felt. Yet it no longer mattered how much pushing herself this way would cost Temari later. All she knew was that she couldn't let Hinata walk away again.

"I don't care if you're afraid, or how good you are at running away. I made a promise to myself that I would always provide for the people I love. And right now, someone I love needs you, Hinata. So the only way you two are walking out of here... is if you're the only ones walking out. And I don't think you could kill me, even if you were trying."

"Are you sure you know me well enough to know that for certain?" Hinata asked, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"No. But Naruto does, and that's not all he knows." Gathering her chakra for one last attack, Temari bit her lip as the pain in her left side doubled. "He's also great at coming up with new uses for this jutsu!"

If Hinata was surprised to suddenly be surrounded by seven of Temari's Shadow Clones, she hid it well. "Go, Akamaru!" she shouted, even as the oversized dog launched himself at the two nearest clones, destroying them on impact. Hinata took out two more clones with one large swipe of her staff, only to find the remaining three clones doing something truly unexpected. They had all thrown themselves at Akamaru, but instead of simply vanishing when he struck them, in their passing three powerful gusts of wind rose up, whirling around the dog so furiously in a tight circle that he could barely even bark.

Hinata moved to help him, but an arm locked around her throat before she could take a second step.

"I won't let anyone break Naruto's heart twice," Temari growled in her ear. "Not even you. I'm your only way back to him, and you'll walk that path, even if I have to plant your feet every step the way."

"How are you going to do that, when you've already pushed yourself too far?" Hinata asked calmly. "You made one too many Shadow Clones."

Temari could not answer Hinata. Already she could feel her limbs going limp, and her legs gave out a few seconds later. She sagged against Hinata's back, but managed to grab a handful of dark hair as she slid to the ground. "Won't let you..." Temari murmured as darkness rolled over her.

* * *

"That was a very brave and foolish thing to do, you know," said a soft, familiar voice in Temari's ear. "You could have died."

"Well, I obviously didn't," Temari grunted, still a little groggy as she slowly opened her eyes. "How long was I out?"

"About a week, technically. At least, you were never conscious long enough to do more groan or take a few sips of water."

Temari took a moment to observe her surroundings. There was nothing but sand and sun for miles, save for the large shadow she was currently sitting in, and the overly warm body just behind her. She turned around to gaze uncertainly at Hinata.

"We're a couple of miles from Suna, I think," Hinata offered, seeing the question in her companion's eyes. "I've never been there, but Akamaru seems to think this is the way."

"Has he ever been there?" Temari asked, throwing a dubious glance at the huge dog currently acting as their shade.

"Well, no. But he can smell chakra and water. I figure Suna has to have both to survive, so..."

"Haven't you tried your Byakugan?"

Hinata sighed, apparently not surprised that Temari was familiar with her bloodline limit. "Yes, but there's a big sand dune in the way, and for some reason I can't look through or past it."

"We're going the right way," Temari confirmed at once. "That was built there on purpose."

"Because of me?" Hinata asked in shock.

"Not entirely, no. Suna's just beyond it, and that's all that matters. But we'll have to go straight over it. Any other way would just wear us out."

"Which is why it's there, right?"

"Among other reasons." Temari gazed at Hinata curiously. "So... why'd you change your mind?"

"You were willing to die to keep me with you. And at the very least, I know you're a friend of Naruto-kun. That's enough, for now. Besides, Akamaru has a good feeling about you... which is amazing, considering he usually takes someone attacking him very personally."

"He started it," Temari grumbled. This earned her a hard nudge to the shoulder, and when she glanced up, Akamaru poked his very cold and wet nose against her neck. "Yuck! What's he doing?" she shrieked, backing into Hinata.

Hinata laughed and pushed her forward. "It's just his way of keeping you cool. He's trying to apologize for earlier."

"I think I'd rather take my chances with the heat, thanks." Temari cringed as Akamaru's nose landed on her cheek this time. "Ewww..."

"You'll be thankful for him, cold nose and all, when we reach Suna safe and sound. I thought about trying to use your fan to stay cool, but I didn't want to accidentally cut us both to pieces."

"I'm just glad you even thought to bring it along," Temari sighed, finally spotting her fan lying nearby. She carefully fingered her left side, which was remarkably almost painless. "Hey, wasn't there a cut here?"

"I've been treating it while you were asleep. In a day or two, you shouldn't even know it's there anymore. But getting some more rest wouldn't be a bad idea, either."

"I'd rather rest in my own bed, if it's all the same to you, Hinata." Temari carefully stood up and stretched her arms. "Anyway, it's not exactly safe on this side of the sand dune."

Hinata stood up as well, patting the dog's neck. "Ready for one last sprint, Akamaru?"

Akamaru raised his head and barked once, his tail wagging excitedly.

"What's he so happy about?" Temari asked suspiciously.

"Oh, he just likes showing off for pretty girls," Hinata explained absently as she climbed onto Akamaru's back.

It took a few seconds for this to sink into Temari's brain. "Wait... you mean me?"

Hinata shrugged. "I'm just telling you how he feels." She gestured for Temari to join her. "Hop on."

"You're going to make him carry us both?" Temari asked as she picked up her fan and returned it to the familiar slot in her sash.

"No one can make Akamaru do anything; just look how big he is!" Hinata laughed. "He chooses to be with me, and so we are bound." She leaned forward and rubbed the top of his head fondly. "As I said, he likes showing off around you. He'll be fine."

There was still some hesitation in Temari as Hinata helped pull her onto Akamaru's back. She was used to desert heat, and keenly aware of how unbearable the environment was on non-natives. Akamaru certainly didn't look uncomfortable, even with Temari's added weight on his back, but no one was completely unaffected by this degree of heat.

"So how exactly do we handle the sand dune?" Hinata asked.

"Oh, that. Straight over, as quickly as possible, since it gets even hotter at the top," Temari explained. "Maybe you should have him wait until it's in sight to-"

"Don't worry about that," Hinata interrupted confidently. "You haven't seen Akamaru really move yet." She patted the dog's neck.

Temari found herself having to suddenly grab onto Hinata's waist as Akamaru darted forward, as if he went for runs through the desert every day. "Hey, wait!" she cried over Hinata's shoulder. "You don't want to wear him out before-"

"Sorry, can't hear you!" Hinata shouted, and indeed, the wind was suddenly rushing in both of their ears as Akamaru steadily picked up speed. But Temari had definitely heard the smile in the other woman's voice: she was enjoying herself.

Seconds later, Temari became aware of a reddish glow beneath her, and it took a few moments for her to realize that it was coming from Akamaru's body. She was wondering if this was what things looked like before they spontaneously combusted when the dog abruptly lurched forward yet again, and Temari found her stomach doing much the same thing. It was now impossible to clearly see anything beyond Hinata's dark hair; everything was just a series of red and gold blurs as they streaked past.

Without warning, Akamaru's body tilted upward, and Temari knew that somehow, they were already climbing the sand dune that served as a natural barrier for Suna. Soon enough, there was a loud thump, as Akamaru had simply covered the second half of the sand dune in one enormous leap. And still he ran for what seemed like a few more minutes before gradually slowing to a brisk jog.

When Temari next had the courage to look up, she could see the gates of Suna not far ahead. She was torn between envying Akamaru's speed and never wanting to experience such a thing again, and definitely not on a full stomach.

"I always eat light, just in case," Hinata pointed out, as if reading Temari's mind. "Just be glad we didn't have to turn."

"Believe me, I am," Temari muttered. "A warning would've been nice, too."

"Sorry. You were asleep the last few times, plus I was holding you in front of me. Anyway, he's never dropped anyone that had permission to ride him." Hinata brought Akamaru to a stop a respectful distance from the gate, in plain view of the guards that were eyeing the huge dog with obvious suspicion. "I don't suppose there's anything I could do that might convince them I was invited?"

"Not really, but that's why you've got me," Temari pointed out as she slid to the ground. "Wait here, and make sure he knows that barking would probably be a bad idea right about now. We don't get many... um, any giant dogs out here."

"That could be a problem," Hinata murmured worriedly. "Akamaru hasn't been around so many shinobi that are supposedly allies in a long time, plus Suna is new to him. He's a little nervous."

Temari could plainly see this from the way the dog was pawing the ground anxiously, which would no doubt set the guards even further on edge. Before she even thought to ask if it was safe to do so, Temari reached out and carefully petted Akamaru's neck, as she'd seen Hinata do numerous times for a variety of reasons (she would recall much later, with a sinking feeling, that one of those pats had also sent the dog streaking across the desert like a rocket). And oddly enough, Akamaru turned his head to look at her, his tongue lolling out as he relaxed visibly.

"I take it back; he really likes you," Hinata said, looking both surprised and impressed.

"Um... okay," Temari answered, suddenly realizing what she was doing and lowering her hand. She moved back a few steps, and when she was sure that Akamaru wouldn't follow her, calmly approached the gate. The guards recognized her at once, though this was due in part to the fact that Kankurou had shoved his way to the front. "Should I be touched or worried that you found time to meet me out here?" she asked of her middle brother with a smile. "You know Gaara hates it when you slack off."

"Who do you think told me to send word to him the moment you got back?" Kankurou complained, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Like I had nothing better to do than sit here waiting for you to show up."

Temari grinned and pinched his cheek. "Aww, I missed you, too!"

He grunted and smacked her hand away, but not nearly as roughly as he could have. "Whatever." Kankurou looked past her for the first time, narrowing his eyes. "What's their story?"

"That, dear brother, is the Woodland Woman of Konoha and her dog. And before you get excited, they came with me willingly. Now get these guys to back off so we can go see Gaara. I can't promise there won't be biting if the dog feels threatened."

"You say it's a dog?" Kankurou asked doubtfully, tilting his head from one side to the other. "Looks more like a bear to me."

"Either way, he could bite," Temari snapped, starting to get irritated. "Now are you going to let us in, or do you want to tell Gaara who kept him waiting?"

Kankurou muttered something under his breath, but by the time Temari had returned to Hinata and Akamaru, her brother was the only one standing at the gate. She could still sense the guards, but so long as they stayed out of Akamaru's way, she was fairly certain they could make it to Gaara without incident.

"You're not going to be punished for bringing us here, are you?" Hinata asked hesitantly as Temari motioned for them to follow her inside.

"Doubt it," Temari replied, hoping she at least sounded confident. "I was ordered to find out why you did what you did. What better way to find out than from you directly?"

"But you weren't ordered to bring us," Hinata insisted, biting her lip. "I don't want-"

"Let me worry about that," Temari interrupted, guiding Akamaru through the gate with one hand on his neck to keep him calm. "Trust me, bringing you here was the best outcome I could hope for, all things considered."

* * *

"Shouldn't have brought her," Kankurou muttered under his breath as he and Temari walked side by side towards the Kazekage's office. Hinata was a few feet behind them, and even if she could hear them, she was far more preoccupied with making sure nothing spooked Akamaru.

"It'll be fine," Temari growled just as softly, shooting him a sharp look.

"When has it ever been fine to do anything other than exactly what he asked for?" Kankurou demanded, a hint of panic slipping into his voice.

She decided not to answer that. "Well, if anyone could get away with it..."

"Did I mention how glad I was that this is your fault, instead of mine? Just in case you can't hear me when you're up to your ears in sa-"

At that point, Temari came to a stop and turned around. "Hey, Hinata? Scale of one to ten, ten being the highest. How much do you not like Gaara?"

"Sixty seven," Hinata replied without missing a beat.

Temari stared at her, then glanced at Kankurou, who normally would've laughed if he weren't so nervous. "And Akamaru?"

"As you know, his senses are better than mine, so... a hundred and ninety."

Temari laughed nervously. "Yeah... you might want to just leave him here with Kankurou."

"He's with the Kazekage, isn't he?" Hinata asked, frowning deeply.

"They're definitely in the same room," Kankurou agreed weakly, earning a glare from Temari. "Well, they are!"

"So, again," Temari sighed, "maybe you should just leave Akamaru right here."

"I don't go anywhere without Akamaru," Hinata said firmly.

Kankurou and Temari exchanged two totally different looks that pretty much meant the same thing: 'oh, crap...'

"The thing is, Hinata," Temari tried to explain, "I have to go in with you, since it was my mission. And if Akamaru's going to freak out because Gaara's in the room... it wouldn't be good. So you can see why-"

"I can't leave him," Hinata interrupted. "I won't."

"Can't you, I don't know, stick him in a scroll or something?" Kankurou asked, sounding desperate.

The look Hinata gave him actually made Kankurou forget that they were in a desert.

"Even if I could," she said slowly, "I would never."

"You can't really expect the Kazekage to allow a dog in his office, and definitely not one as big as this one!"

"I am a missing-nin, and have followed no one's rules but my own for the last decade. Consider yourself lucky that I even dismounted."

"Okay, fine," Temari groaned, shaking her head. "But let's get one thing straight, Hinata. I told you to leave Akamaru here, and you're the one that decided not to listen. So anything that happens as a result of you not listening to my advice is on your head. We're trying to make this easier on you, believe me."

Hinata glared at her. "I will not go anywhere that Akamaru is not allowed. And I certainly wouldn't go anywhere that he wouldn't go by choice."

Temari was seconds away from tearing her own hair out. As far as she knew, Akamaru normally was a sweet dog, and she really didn't want to see him or Hinata splattered all over Gaara's office. The real problem was that Gaara could be just as, if not more instinctive than an animal, and so he was actually more likely to kill Akamaru on sight than the other way around. At this point, Temari could see only one way around this, and it wasn't going to be easy.

"Okay, I haven't been completely honest with you, Hinata. But I knew if I told you out in the forest, you never would've agreed to come with me."

Hinata said nothing to this, merely waiting for the bad news.

"Gaara isn't with the Kazekage. He is the Kazekage."

To her credit, Hinata looked horrified for all of three seconds.

After that, she just looked furious.

Then, surprisingly, she looked defeated. With her head hanging, she turned to her canine companion.

"Akamaru," she said softly. "Stay."

Temari had never thought she could see an animal look so heartbroken as Akamaru did in that moment. He couldn't seem to understand that Hinata was trying to protect him, or that she could possibly want to go somewhere without him. He whined uncertainly, gently bumping his head against her arm.

"Stay," Hinata repeated, and Temari could hear the sorrow in her voice this time. "Stay."

Ears drooping, Akamaru lowered himself to the floor, still staring up at his mistress in wounded confusion. There was little doubt in Temari's mind that Hinata would have to keep her eyes on him to make sure he obeyed.

Unfortunately, this was only the first part of Temari's little scheme. The next part was making sure that Gaara wouldn't react murderously, should Akamaru suddenly come busting in through the door (or the wall).

Still feeling quite guilty, Temari stepped towards Hinata, intending to apologize for lying to her. But Hinata quickly moved past her without so much as a glance, and Temari sighed inwardly, feeling even worse. There was still one way she could apologize, though.

The Sand jounin bent down next to the miserable dog and rubbed his head in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "I'm sorry about all this trouble, Akamaru. I'll make it up to you both, I promise." She wasn't completely convinced that Akamaru understood anyone but Hinata, but his tail did wag half-heartedly a few times. His eyes never left the retreating form of Hinata, though.

* * *

When Temari finally laid eyes on Gaara, he seemed to be in a surprisingly peaceful mood. For one thing, instead of doing any sort of paperwork (which was generally tedious and tended to make him more irritable than usual), he was merely standing at the back of his office, gazing out of the balcony that allowed him to see most of Suna.

"You're back," he said simply without turning around.

"You did ask me to come back," Temari reminded him as she came a stop directly behind her youngest brother.

"And... Naruto?" Gaara asked after a short pause.

"Just fine," Temari assured him. "He understood that you needed me to be somewhere else."

"I hoped he would."

There was another brief pause, and this time it was Temari who broke it.

"Gaara... there's something you should know about that last mission you gave me."

At this, he turned around, and Temari made sure to look him in the eyes as she continued.

"The Woodland Woman... it's Hyuuga Hinata. I mean, she's just Hinata now, technically, but I-"

Gaara placed his left hand on her shoulder.

Temari blinked, looked down at the hand, and then back up at Gaara hesitantly.

"You brought her here," he stated.

Not trusting herself to speak, Temari nodded.

"Were there any problems?"

"Yes. She's still pretty upset, because... I didn't tell her you were Kazekage until she got here. And I told her not to bring her dog in."

Gaara seemed to be considering this information. Finally, he came to a decision. "Bring her to me."

His hand was still resting on her shoulder, though.

Smiling faintly, Temari stepped forward and gave him a light hug. "I missed you, too, Gaara." He didn't seem nearly as stiff as the last time she'd done this, nor did he look confused as she let go. He just looked expectant, which Temari took to mean it was time to stop with the mushy stuff and carry out his last order.

When Hinata did appear, she still looked very upset, but not angry (although that was probably out of self-preservation). She met Gaara's gaze for less than a second, and then quickly lowered her head.

"Why do you think you are here?" Gaara asked.

Hinata answered quickly, as if she thought making him wait for an answer was a bad idea (and it probably was). "Because I have committed crimes against-"

"That is merely the official reason. Are you aware of the true one?"

"I... no," Hinata said softly.

Gaara stared at her for a long moment before moving on. "I sentence you to remain in Suna until I see fit to release you. You will stay with Temari at all times, unless she tells you otherwise."

Hinata's head snapped up, but she caught herself before opening her mouth. "Kazekage-sama... if I am not here because of my crime, then why am I being punished?"

"If I had punished you," Gaara replied slowly, "you would know it."

Hinata stiffened, but said nothing.

"You are a missing-nin with no allegiance to any Hidden Village. Were you anyone else, I would extract any secrets you held by force. For now, you may consider yourself Temari's guest."

"I... I don't understand any of this," Hinata said, sounding desperate. "Why are you keeping me here?"

Gaara glanced at Temari before answering. "Because you are precious to Naruto. For that reason alone, you will remain under my protection until further notice."

Temari saw with some alarm that Hinata was gaping at Gaara as if he'd just sprouted a second head. "Um, Hinata's had a really long day, and this is a lot to take in. What she probably needs right now is a chance to rest, so I'll just show her where she'll be staying." Once Gaara had nodded his approval, Temari grabbed Hinata and dragged her out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind them. "Didn't I tell you not to stare at him, Hinata?"

"Why?" Hinata whispered, shaking her head. "Why would someone like him care about Naruto-kun?"

Temari sighed. "Because like I tried to tell you before, Naruto is family to us. I brought you here so you'd be safe, Hinata. You may have been tough enough to survive on your own for this long, but there's always someone stronger. Can you really afford to find that out at the hands of a hunter-nin?"

Hinata started to shake her head. Then she remembered that she was still mad at Temari, and scowled. "Where am I staying?"

Temari smirked. "With me. In my room. You are my guest, after all." Somehow, she knew exactly what Hinata's response would be

"I won't go anywhere else without Aka-"

"There's room for him on the floor, and I'll put some blankets down first. You can't tell me he's used to better than that, either."

"That is acceptable," Hinata decided at last, but she refused to look satisfied about virtually being Temari's hostage.

Neither woman spoke as they made their way back to the hallway where Kankurou and Akamaru were still waiting. Kankurou looked relieved to see them both still in one piece, and Akamaru hadn't moved from his spot on the floor.

Hinata walked straight to her dog and knelt down in front of him, lifting his head so she could drop a kiss directly on his nose. "Good boy," she murmured, laying her head on his and rubbing his neck firmly. "Very good boy."

Temari almost smiled when she saw Akamaru's tail thumping wildly against the floor, but stopped herself when Kankurou looked at her.

"So how screwed are you?" he asked bluntly.

"Everything worked out fine," Temari replied stubbornly. "He wasn't mad at all."

"Huh. Then what happens to them?"

"You let me worry about that."

Kankurou grunted. "You better. There's no way that dog is sleeping in my room."

* * *

Temari understood that Hinata was confused and frustrated by the current situation, that they were no longer on friendly terms, and that they might never be again. So for the most part, the two women spent the rest of the day in Temari's room, not looking at each other or saying anything.

By that night, Temari was starting to feel frustrated as well. Gaara had told her that Naruto was not to be notified of these latest developments yet. She could only assume that he was concerned about word getting back to Konoha that Suna was harboring a Leaf missing-nin. To that end, there were only two or three places where Hinata could go freely, and even then Temari had to be with her. The main problem was that while Suna didn't have a constant flow of Leaf-nin entering the village, those few that did usually stayed for some time, given the length of the journey from Konoha.

Even though Temari could appreciate Gaara's position on the matter, she still felt guilty about restricting Hinata's freedom to this degree. As it was, Temari had been forced to request the use of Gaara's private courtyard for a few hours every morning, just so Akamaru didn't get too restless from being kept inside all the time. But that seemed like such a small thing, especially considering what they were expecting of Hinata.

It was a small comfort that Hinata and Akamaru didn't have any real problems with the size of Temari's room. It had always seemed too big for one person in her opinion, but now it was just shy of being cramped, with Akamaru sprawled out on top of five blankets along most of the wall. He seemed happy enough with the arrangement, and Hinata didn't complain.

They had never discussed the actual sleeping arrangements, but Temari's bed was easily big enough for three people, so she had just assumed they would share it. Hinata had other ideas, as she made all too clear by bedding down right next to Akamaru with little more than an extra blanket. Temari thought about offering to share, but decided against it. Hinata would probably choose to sleep there even if the bed were empty, given her current mood. As far as she was concerned, Akamaru was her only friend here.

There was something else bothering Temari as she tried to get to sleep, though. Every time she closed her eyes, she would remember the very last thing Naruto had told her about Hinata.

"Hinata really had it tough in her clan. Maybe if I'd had my own clan back then, we could've taken her in or something. I think she would've even stayed with an outcast like me instead of her family, if she had a choice."

Sighing, Temari sat up in bed and looked at the large, furry mass that steadily rose and fell a few feet away. "Hinata? Can I ask you a personal question?"

"What is it?" Hinata asked softly.

"If there weren't any hunter-nin after you... would you want to go home?"

There was no response for several moments, and Temari thought she wasn't going to get one.

"Even without them," Hinata whispered, "some of the problems I ran away from would remain. There would be no point."

"What about the people who love you? Don't you want to see them again?"

"I do," Hinata admitted. "But... some of them may be the very ones who would kill me on sight. In many ways, I am better off staying here. I just... didn't want to admit it." There was a slight pause. "Why do you ask?"

Temari quietly slipped out of her bed and walked over to her dresser. "Personally, I'm a big fan of option three, you know? It's always been my experience that whenever it seems like you only have two choices, they both tend to look pretty bad. So if you're beating yourself up over whether you want to go home, or keep hiding out here the rest of your life, there is another way to go."

"What do you mean? I can't leave Suna until your brother says so."

"That's because you're currently a Leaf missing-nin," Temari reminded her, taking something from the dresser and tossing it towards Hinata. "You can hang onto this for a while. You don't have to wear it. But if you ever want to just stop running, and get a fresh start, I'm sure we can work something out."

Temari waited for Hinata's protest, or at least to have the object tossed back at her. When neither came, she smiled faintly and climbed back into bed. "Everyone needs a place to belong to, Hinata. So if you really can't go home again, maybe you just need a new home."

"Why are you doing this?" Hinata asked in a small voice.

"I don't know. Maybe Akamaru is starting to grow on me. Maybe I just don't like seeing Naruto's friends suffer. Either way, I'm the only one that's going to make you this offer, and there's no time limit as far on it as I'm concerned. All I ask is that you think on it, and don't do anything stupid that might put your life in danger. Just because I'll protect you with my life doesn't mean I'm in a hurry to throw it away."

Hinata didn't respond to this, either. But the silence that filled the room no longer seemed as tense as before, and Temari found it was all too easy to fall asleep then.

**End of Part 5.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Hinata's new jutsu :

Hair of the Dog: Hinata's coat is made of a special material that picks up some of Akamaru's fur whenever they come in contact, so she always has plenty of hairs to throw.

Summoning: Inuzuka Tornado: An incomplete transformation that doubles as an attack and provides a strong defense for Hinata.

Jutsu Cutter: Hinata's mysterious bone staff, when thrown and filled with chakra, can literally cut through most elemental-based jutsu (wind, water, etc.)

Akanata Comet Plus: refined version of the Akanata Comet, used for battle, brief flight, and rapid travel.

Temari's new jutsu:

Kaze no Yaiba (Blade of Wind): inherited from Baki.

Wind Shadow Clone (Kaze Kage Bunshin?): a combination attack composed of a Shadow Clone (Kage Bunshin) and wind manipulation. The Shadow Clone explodes upon being attacked, releasing powerful wind gusts that can either hold an enemy in place, knock them away violently, or unleash the Cutting Whirlwind (Kamaitachi) at point-blank range. With three Shadow Clones, all three variations could be used one after another to increase damage or ensure the attack's success. Note: this is not a Wind Clone jutsu, as that would imply the clones are composed of wind. The wind comes from the air that is normally released as the clones explode, backed by all of the former clone's chakra. The more clones used, the weaker their individual attacks, which makes it necessary to use them in a combined effort.

Keep in mind that Temari isn't fighting with her full potential for most of the battle, and neither is Hinata. And while I'm aware of the "stars" on Temari's fan and how they work… somehow, I can't picture her holding back for so long outside of the chuunin exam.

I'm not exactly sure how big Akamaru eventually gets, but when I picture him here, I'm basically drawing on two ideas: 1) Hinata is slightly shorter than Kiba would've been, and Akamaru is easily taller than her, possibly she only comes up to his neck, and 2) Akamaru is meant to be seen as being even bigger than he normally would end up. This is partially due to the way Hinata raised him, but more likely because of certain forces at work in his genes.

I'm using artistic license with the summons. Very few shinobi have "personal summons," which I guess means no one else can use them, or at least not in that summoner's lifetime. Yet there are shinobi with what seem to be unique summons that no one else uses. Unfortunately, since only Temari ever uses Kamatari, there's no way of knowing if anyone else can summon it, or if there are other Kamaitachi that can be summoned. So for the purposes of this fanfic, I'm assuming that Kamatari is Temari's personal summon, though that there are other Kamaitachi (sickle weasels) available for summoning.

I assume it's chakra that summons actually respond to, at least, in that the summoner's blood is the 'door' and chakra is the actual 'key' that allows the summon to pass through the door (everyone has blood, but few have enough chakra for summoning).

I knew messing with the chuunin exam would be tricky. Just assume that Team 8's first encounter with the Sand Siblings in the second stage happened shortly before the events of Part 2. In other words, first Team 8 saw Gaara kill the three Rain-nin, then ran into Orochimaru's snakes. Messes up the timing (since Team 7 met Orochimaru almost right away), but those scenes are too important to ignore in this case (otherwise I don't think the Sand Siblings would stand out in Hinata's memory).

It's a common belief that you can "wash off" most scents by showering or bathing. Even if that's true, scents can cling to clothes, furniture, even entire houses. It stands to reason that Naruto's house would smell like him (or ramen), since he's lived alone for years. Even if Temari had done her laundry the day she left Konoha, most likely something she took with her would still bear Naruto's scent. And remember that Hinata can use some of Kiba's techniques, including heightening her sense of smell with chakra.

Bloodline limits such as the Byakugan have to be "trained": when they first manifest they aren't at full power or effectiveness (the Sharingan actually has visible levels as it advances). Neji manages to greatly increase the distance over which he can see with his Byakugan. So Hinata's inability to see through the sand dune surrounding Suna could be due to two things: lacking the necessary experience to do so, or the sand dune itself being composed of highly unique elements (which happens to be the case here, but more on that next time).

I'm not taking requests for any couples, since that's come up more than once already. Believe it or not, the story is entirely planned out already, which means I intend for things to go a certain way, and for certain people to end up together. And if you haven't seen any hints for a couple yet, chances are they won't be together here.


	6. Sink or Swim

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, I'm not getting paid.

Notes: This is the chapter I've been dreading, not only for the surprises, but for the action scenes as well. Here's hoping no one walks away too disappointed.

**Sink or Swim**

**Part 6 of White Dog Night**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

"Good boy! Who's my big, fluffy puppy, huh? Ooh, that's a good boy!"

Hinata awoke on the floor of Temari's bedroom to what had quickly become a familiar, admittedly adorable sight.

Temari was giving Akamaru a vigorous belly rub, and from the way the huge dog's tongue was hanging out, he loved every second of it. This no doubt meant that they had just come back from a walk in Gaara's courtyard. Hinata still thought it a little odd that the Sand jounin and Akamaru had bonded so fast. He'd never taken to anyone so quickly, save Hinata herself. That, more than anything else, was what finally convinced Hinata that Temari could be trusted.

These past few months in Suna had passed slowly, but weren't nearly as agonizing as Hinata had feared they might be. It was kind of nice, being around a family that didn't act quite so much like her former one. She actually looked forward to Temari and Kankurou's frequent squabbles. And while Hinata still wasn't comfortable around Gaara, she could at least stand to be in his presence without feeling like he was going to crush her if she moved more than an inch.

"Hey, sleepyhead. You getting up today or what?"

Hinata blinked, realizing Temari was looking at her expectantly. "Oh. I was just thinking."

"Uh huh," Temari remarked, a knowing look in her eyes. "While you're doing that, mind if I ask you something?"

Seeing no reason to disagree, Hinata nodded. "Go ahead."

"I notice you've been hanging onto my little present every morning. Any particular reason for that?"

A blush crept over Hinata's face as she looked down to find Temari's gift clutched tightly in her left hand. "Um... just keeping my options in mind, I guess."

"Well, remember it's a last resort," Temari said at once, her voice sounding much more serious. "Naruto would never forgive me if there was any chance you could go back and didn't take it."

Hinata nodded, giving the Sand headband another long look before tucking it under her blanket. "You really think Naruto-kun would be that angry?"

"I know he would be," Temari replied. "Because he wouldn't be able to do anything about it until he became Hokage, and that's probably going to take a good, long while. I can't imagine waiting ten years to be reunited with someone I cared about, much less more than that." She gave Akamaru a few final pats before standing up and turning back to Hinata. "You already missed breakfast, but I could probably sneak you an early lunch, if you want."

"Thank you," Hinata said, smiling warmly.

Temari nodded before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her with a faint click.

A sigh escaped Hinata's lips as she dug out the Sand headband again, staring at it for a few moments. "What do you think, Akamaru?" she asked. "Could we really make this place our home?"

Unfortunately, her canine companion didn't have an answer to that (but neither did Hinata, so she could hardly blame him), but, loyal to the end, he got up, lumbered over, and laid down beside her, nudging her gently with his head.

"I hope we figure it out soon," she sighed, curling up against his side. "I'm starting to get homesick... but I don't know for where." Hinata closed her eyes and buried her face in his fur. "Tell me what to do, Kiba-kun," she pleaded in a small voice, even though she knew there would be no answer. On this subject, Kiba's spirit had been mysteriously silent, as if he expected Hinata to decide for herself.

Akamaru could only whine sympathetically, as he could feel the confusion of his mistress washing over him yet again. He hadn't liked this place all that much to start with, either. The people smelled different, it was a bit warmer than he would've preferred (though not unbearably so), and the redhead gave him the creeps.

Still, the food was new and interesting, as were many of the smells, and above all, Temari was here. Hinata had taught him not to jump up and lick people's faces, but sometimes the very sight of Temari tempted him to forget that lesson. Akamaru wasn't even sure what he liked about her, he just knew that he liked it a lot. Even better, Temari liked him back. She hadn't even really seemed to mind, the one time he'd forgotten himself and licked her face while she was eating. At least, she hadn't run out of the room spitting like the last time he'd done that to someone.

Preferences aside, Akamaru figured that as long as Temari was here, this place felt relatively safe. And that was enough for now.

0000000

Neji couldn't help but stare somewhat uncomfortably at the sight before him.

Hanabi and Shino were sitting side by side in the sand, talking rather casually about the weather.

Well, that wasn't quite right. Hanabi had asked Shino if wearing his hood in the heat bothered him at all, and from that had sprung an entire conversation that Neji couldn't really follow, as he couldn't understand why or how Hanabi managed to calmly talk to the strangest people.

But then, maybe that was part of why she would be the Hyuuga clan head, instead of him. And Neji didn't resent her at all for this. He had long since accepted that he would never be clan head, and knowing the way most Hyuuga were, he had absolutely no desire to be anymore. That Hanabi had remained so devoted to the idea was admirable in his eyes, but he would never envy her position again. He was content enough with his and Hanabi's individual accomplishments.

He was pulled rather suddenly from his thoughts when he heard Shino say something about blood.

"It's old... but there is a certain power in it. And it's... familiar."

"There is no need for concern," Hanabi said, looking for all the world as if she were talking about something as common as kunai. "That is only an additional line of defense installed in the last few years. It won't be a problem for us."

Neji stared at her in surprise. "You've been to Suna before?"

She shook her head. "I've only seen it from a distance. However, as a show of good faith, the Kazekage submitted a report on what went into the barrier's construction."

"And blood was one of the components?" Neji asked.

Hanabi frowned at the tone in his voice. "It is hardly our place to question how the Kazekage sees fit to defend his home, so long as he still permits Leaf-nin to come and go freely. The number of attacks on Suna have dramatically decreased since the barrier went up."

She seemed so certain that the barrier wouldn't be a problem for them that Neji didn't question her further. Shino said nothing at all, but it was nearly impossible to tell what he was thinking at any time.

When they finally reached the massive sand dune a few minutes later, Hanabi started walking right up it without even pausing. That is, until the sand in front of her began to shift, rising up to form a humanoid shape in mere seconds.

"State your business here," the sand clone of Gaara ordered. His unfeeling gaze shifted briefly to Neji and Shino, then back to Hanabi. "Quickly."

Hanabi bowed politely, something Neji could barely even recall her doing as a much younger girl. "Greetings, Kazekage-sama. We have come seeking an audience with you."

"Concerning what?" Gaara asked bluntly.

"We are aware that Temari-san has made some new friends," Hanabi replied quietly.

For several moments, the sand clone merely stared at her. Finally, it said, "Proceed," and sank back into the sand without another word.

"Perhaps he's become more sociable," Shino suggested.

Neji gave him a long look, but couldn't decide if Shino were making a joke or a simple observation. "It is odd that he gave us permission to go on," he agreed finally.

"He would arouse suspicion if he had not." Hanabi stared cautiously at the sand dune as she took one step forward, and then began walking at a fairly rapid pace.

For a moment, Neji considered peering into the sand dune with the Byakugan. Then he remembered what Gaara was capable of, and decided he probably didn't want to know. It was enough that they had been granted passage into Suna with no trouble, which was more than he'd been expecting.

They hadn't gone far when Neji noticed Shino was gradually falling behind, though this was not due to the heat finally getting the better of him. It seemed more like Shino was purposely taking his time as he walked, but he continued to stare straight ahead. Neji didn't want to lose sight of Hanabi, but her he trusted completely. Shino clearly had his own agenda, and there was a fairly good chance it would clash with their own at some point.

"Something wrong, Shino?" Neji asked warily.

"Just introducing myself to the locals," Shino replied mysteriously, even as something large and black vanished up his sleeve.

0000000

Hinata was in the middle of her lunch when Akamaru began to act strangely. First, he began pacing the room, whining softly and urging Hinata to finish her meal. When she was done, he practically shoved her toward the door, trying to get her out of the room.

"Akamaru, what are you doing?" Hinata asked as he bumped her hard again. "You know we can't just leave the room anytime we want! Temari has to-"

It was then that Akamaru stiffened and raced to the window, whining a bit louder now.

Growing more curious, Hinata approached the window and placed her hand on Akamaru's neck. "Show me where to look, Akamaru. Tell me what you sense." She closed her eyes and lowered her head, trusting Akamaru's nose to guide her.

Instantly, she received an image of the gates of Suna. The view honed in on one person in particular as he passed through the gates. Suddenly, he paused, and his head snapped up, as if sensing he was being watched.

And then Hinata knew for certain that he knew, because he used the Byakugan to look right back at her.

The vision faded at once, and Hinata felt her knees growing weak. She had always thought Akamaru's side of the exchange a blessing, since he was rarely blinded by exceptionally bright colors. This time, however, his black and white vision had made that person's large, pale Hyuuga eyes seem even brighter.

"Neji," Hinata whispered, slowly backing away from the window. "Akamaru, we have to get out of-"

"Not another step, Hinata," said a soft voice in her ear.

Hinata froze as she felt the blade of a kunai pressing into her neck. Her eyes widened as Akamaru bared his fangs and reared up to defend her. But with a mere gesture from her captor, Akamaru toppled over backwards, completely immobilized.

"So long I have waited for this day. You cannot even begin to imagine what I am feeling, now that I finally have you."

The more the voice spoke, the more Hinata was certain she'd heard it before.

"Turn and face me, Hinata. I have more than earned that right."

Only when the kunai was moved a few inches from her throat did Hinata dare to turn around. Her heart skipped a beat as she came face to face with the mask of a Leaf hunter-nin. What frightened her most was the fact that someone had gone to the trouble of carving overly large eyes into the mask. Combined with the pale white color of the mask, the overall effect was that Hinata found herself staring into a pair of lifeless Hyuuga eyes.

She had never been more terrified in her life.

And then, something strange washed over her. A sense of fulfillment, as if she'd just completed a particularly long and grueling mission. Hinata knew there were only two people alive who could possibly make her feel that way after so long, and she'd just seen the other.

"Hanabi-chan?" she breathed softly, slowly reaching up to remove the mask. "Is it really you?"

The hunter-nin made no move to stop her (though the kunai remained fairly close to her neck all the while), and Hinata felt her eyes growing damp as she revealed the impassive face of her younger sister. And despite the fact that Hanabi had come here, from all indications, to take her life, Hinata was truly happy, for the first time in years.

"Hanabi-chan," she whispered again, gently cupping her sister's face. "I... I'm so glad... I got to see you one more time..."

Hanabi did not move in the slightest, and even looked as if she wasn't breathing. The kunai was still poised mere inches from Hinata's throat, but she was hardly aware of it anymore.

They probably would have stayed like that all day, but Hinata felt a certain need to grant her sister further affection, and leaned forward to embrace her. Hanabi gave no indication that this was not allowed, and just as Hinata's arms began to slide around her, the door slammed open.

Hinata looked up to see Temari staring at them in horror, and she knew at once what the Sand jounin was seeing, and more precisely, what she wasn't.

All Temari would see was the kunai at Hinata's throat, the discarded hunter-nin mask, and those would be more than enough to make a rash judgment.

"NO!" Temari yelled as she sprang into the room, swinging her fan like a club and aiming unerringly for Hanabi's head.

All things considered, Hinata wasn't sure if she was relieved or even more frightened when Hanabi blocked the potentially fatal blow simply by raising her forearm at the last possible moment.

"You have interfered more than enough as it is, Temari-san," Hanabi said coolly, sparing the Sand-nin a dark look. "While I thank you for keeping Hinata alive this long, your services are no longer required. Do not force me to dispatch you... permanently."

Temari's reply to this was to open her fan, and Hanabi was forced to leap out of the way to avoid being torn to shreds by the vicious gale that rushed past her.

Hinata nearly cried out for them to stop, but then Temari was between her and Hanabi, ready to unleash another attack.

"I don't care who you think you are, or why you think you're here," Temari snarled. "Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, is going to touch Hinata!"

Hanabi glared at her. "I have you given you my only warning." She began to reach into her black robes, only to be interrupted again as yet another person entered the room.

"Is there really a need for that, Hanabi-san?"

Hinata's eyes widened in shock as she turned to face the source of that familiar voice. "Shino-kun!"

The Aburame heir turned his head in her direction. "So there you are, Hinata." Displaying a calmness that completely undermined the tension of the situation, he crossed the room, nodding briefly to Temari as he passed her, and stopped beside Hinata. "I've been meaning to give this to you, to replace the last one."

Hinata watched with some amusement as a large, black beetle emerged from Shino's sleeve. It looked almost exactly like the one he'd given her years ago, and as it marched onto her offered arm, she wondered if the two were related. "Thank you, Shino-kun. I've missed you so-"

"What the hell is all this?" Kankurou shouted as he burst into the room. His eyes landed on Temari's open fan, and Hinata began to wonder if the Sand Siblings had always been this quick to judge, although since they were doing it largely to defend her, she couldn't really be upset with them.

But before Kankurou could bring out one of his puppets, they were interrupted yet again, this time by something huge crashing through the ceiling. Hinata ended up pressed against the wall between Temari and Shino. As the dust settled, she could just barely make out something orange and black pulsing slightly, almost as if it were breathing.

"I take it back," coughed yet another familiar voice from Hinata's past. "It's women AND toads that are troublesome."

Temari had an unreadable look on her face as she raised her fan and directed the dust out of the room, by way of the newly-created sunroof.

The first thing Hinata recognized was the pink hair of Haruno Sakura (even while she was busy shaking sand out of it). Then there was the scowling, eternally bored face of Nara Shikamaru. And finally, perched atop the head of a humongous toad, grinning almost maniacally, was Uzumaki Naruto.

"Alright! Anybody who even looks at Hinata wrong has to deal with me, the next Hokage!" Naruto yelled as he leapt to the ground, glaring at everyone in front of him.

"You IDIOT!" Kankurou shouted. "You just nearly crushed her, not to mention the rest of us!"

Naruto smirked at him. "I wasn't worried about that. Since you obviously forgot, there are some people around here that I trust to keep my friends safe no matter what. Right, neechan?"

"You owe me a new ceiling," Temari muttered, though she was smiling, too.

"You could at least clean up after yourself, Naruto," Sakura pointed out firmly, grabbing his ear.

"Aww, Sakura-chan...!" Naruto grumbled, but the toad quickly vanished with a puff of smoke.

"Okay, refresh my memory," Shikamaru sighed. "Exactly who are we fighting here?"

Naruto opened his mouth, but that was when he finally noticed that Kankurou and Hanabi were technically the only ones on the "opposing" side of the room. "Eh, Kankurou, you might want to come over here, so we don't attack you by mistake."

"Oh, again, you mean?" he grunted sarcastically. "I think I might just take my chances with mini-Hinata here."

Hanabi's eyes narrowed, and she had just taken a step towards Kankurou when Neji entered the room (what was left of it, anyway). He stopped, looked around quickly, and sighed.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised at all."

"Yeah, well, you're gonna be if you take one more step, and not in a good way!" Naruto threatened.

Neji frowned. "Uzumaki, we have warned you. This is Hyuuga Clan business."

"Last time I checked, Hinata wasn't part of your stuffy old clan. In fact, I haven't heard anyone call her Hyuuga Hinata since she left. So as far as I'm concerned, she's my business, not yours!"

"Nothing is going to keep us from settling this matter ourselves," Neji stated.

"Just us and all of Suna," Temari added, grinning as Neji bristled and glared at her.

Unfortunately, Hanabi did not look anywhere near as impressed, as she demonstrated by reaching into her robes yet again. This time, she got as far as drawing out what appeared to be the handle of a sword before Shikamaru's shadow shot across the floor, even as Neji rushed him, only to be blocked by Naruto.

In all the commotion, only Hinata noticed Shino moving to the doorway and opening his palm, which was slowly, methodically being covered in tiny bites by one of his insects. It was only when these marks began to well up with blood that Hinata knew what he was doing.

Shino, in return, gave Hinata a rather pointed look before almost casually placing his hand against the doorframe.

And so Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji were the only ones who thought to duck when a gigantic scarab suddenly appeared overhead, effectively pinning everyone else in the room against the walls with its powerful legs.

"I think everyone but Hinata, Temari, and Hanabi should leave the room," Shino suggested calmly. "That way, everyone's interests are represented, and protected."

After a few moments, this idea was unanimously agreed upon (due largely to the fact that no one was released until they had). They had just started to slowly file out of the room when Gaara appeared in the doorway.

No one breathed as Gaara's cold gaze swept across the room, before landing squarely on Naruto. "You," he said simply, "are going to fix Temari's ceiling before you leave."

Naruto laughed nervously and moved a little closer to Temari. "Um, sure thing, Gaara!"

Gaara turned to consider everyone else in the room. "I suggest you all do as Aburame-san suggested. At present, he is the only one here I have no quarrel with. And if any more of my home is destroyed, there will be dire consequences."

The others quickly slipped out of the room, with Gaara closing the door behind him as he followed.

Hinata glanced between Temari and Hanabi nervously, since neither of them looked all that pleased with the arrangement. Finally, she decided to break the ice with what would hopefully be an act of good faith.

"Hanabi-chan," Hinata murmured hesitantly, drawing her sister's attention. "Could you please...? Akamaru was only defending me..."

Hanabi made a slight motion with her hand, and Akamaru instantly rolled to his feet, padding over to Hinata and Temari, and staring warily at the Hyuuga heiress.

"Exactly how do you plan to settle things with Hinata?" Temari asked.

"That is none of your business," Hanabi replied at once.

Temari glared at her. "It is if you intend to kill her!" she shouted.

"Is... that what you want, Hanabi-chan?" Hinata asked softly. "If it is... I won't... I won't try to stop you-"

"WHAT!" Temari cried, whirling on her. "Hinata, what are you saying?"

"It is Hanabi's duty as the Hyuuga heir," Hinata said slowly, "to correct my mistakes as she sees fit. If she requires my life, I cannot oppose her wishes."

Temari grabbed Hinata's shoulders roughly. "How many times do you have to hear it? You're not Hyuuga anymore! You don't have to do anything they say!"

"I know," Hinata answered. "But I must do as Hanabi-chan wishes, because... I still love her, whether she feels the same or not. I have caused her enough anguish."

"How come you don't feel that way about Naruto?" Temari demanded angrily. "He's done more for you than anyone, and he wants you to live, if not for yourself, then at least as a favor to him!"

Hinata closed her eyes. "I am sorry, Temari. But you must understand. You would turn away from Naruto-kun if your brother asked it of you, wouldn't you? It is the same for me. Hanabi-chan is the most important person in my life."

"But-"

"I have heard enough," Hanabi interrupted. "Out of respect for the Kazekage and his home, I will take no action for now. But this matter is far from over." With that, Hanabi turned and walked swiftly out of the room.

"You're wrong, you know," Temari whispered, her voice quivering with anger. "I would do anything for Gaara... but he'd never ask me to throw my life away for nothing. Can you say the same about your sister?"

"It would not be for nothing," Hinata disagreed. "It would be for the greater good of the Hyuuga Clan."

"What about Akamaru? What's he supposed to do if you die?"

"He knows," Hinata said simply, patting the dog's neck.

"I made a promise to myself that I'd keep you safe," Temari muttered, turning her back on Hinata. "So I think you should leave my room before I do something I might regret later."

Hinata lowered her head and quietly led Akamaru into the hallway. She hadn't gotten far when two strong arms locked around her waist.

"That was really mean of you, to send a clone to kiss me and just vanish like that," Naruto murmured into her hair. "Do you know how long I wondered how much more amazing a real kiss from you must be like?"

Her face glowing red, Hinata slowly turned around in his arms. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she apologized softly. "But I thought you might try to stop me."

"Well, yeah! Nobody likes to see a good friend go. Especially not one that kisses like that!"

"Naruto-kun, you're embarrassing me!" Hinata gushed, hiding her face against his chest.

Naruto gently lifted her head. "Listen, Hinata. If you need help with anything, you have to tell me. Sakura-chan, Shikamaru, Temari, Shino, even Gaara... we're all willing to help you, okay? Don't feel like you have to run off again... or at least don't feel like you have to do it alone. Promise me you won't forget that."

"I won't," Hinata swore, staring up into his deep blue eyes. In that moment, it was easy to see the boy she'd fallen in love with years ago. Really, he hadn't changed at all, aside from being taller and more solidly built. She half-expected him to say something about finding a ramen stand any minute now.

Before Naruto could say anything, however, Akamaru began to growl, apparently thinking the blonde had been holding onto Hinata for too long.

Almost absently, Naruto reached out and petted Akamaru's head roughly, with enough force to hurt a smaller animal. And, strangely enough, Akamaru instantly fell silent, his tail wagging contentedly.

Naruto clearly didn't think this was so amazing, as he quickly moved on. "C'mon, Hinata. I'll show you where Kankurou stashes the junk food." Without waiting for a reply, he practically dragged her down the hall, followed closely by Akamaru.

0000000

Much to Hinata's surprise, Gaara provided rooms for all of his guests. At someone's insistence, though she wasn't sure whose, Hinata and Sakura were paired off to a room, while Naruto and Shikamaru got one next door. Repairs on Temari's room weren't to begin until the following morning, so she ended up with Kankurou (since their only other options were to share with Hanabi, Neji, or Shino, neither of them complained). Neji and Hanabi took another room, and Shino turned down a room entirely, volunteering to assist the guards with patrol duty instead. Hinata suspected he really wanted to familiarize himself with Suna's insects for future reference.

Sakura turned out to be a lot friendlier than Hinata remembered. The pink-haired kunoichi confirmed all of the things Temari had told her about Konoha, and even more that she hadn't. All Hinata had really wanted to know was how Hanabi and Neji had been getting along without her. She was surprised, and a bit jealous, to learn their relationship had become one she'd always hoped to have with Neji. Still, it was nice to know they'd had each other to rely on.

It was also through Sakura that Hinata learned of Hyuuga Hiashi's death, which had occurred the day before Naruto's team set out for Suna. And while Hinata knew this news should have some profound impact on her, it did not. She had stopped thinking of him as her father (at his own insistence, no less) long ago, and she imagined this was also the case for Hanabi. At least, Hanabi hadn't brought it up, nor had she seemed distraught in the least. But then, Hanabi had never been one to display such things.

Just when they were about to go to bed, Sakura said something that would leave Hinata unable to sleep that night.

"You know, he'd never admit it to you, but Naruto would be really happy if you could come back with us. You could even live with me, if you needed a place to stay."

"You would do that... for me?" Hinata asked quietly.

Sakura sighed. "Well, I'd be doing it for Naruto, because I'd hate to see him lose anyone this important to him. Neither of us wants to go through that again. So I promised him I'd do everything I could to help you come home. If you still consider Konoha your home, anyway."

Hinata bit her lip nervously. "Do you really think I could go back?"

"I think we've got a good shot. Maybe we could get Gaara to threaten to make you a Sand-nin if Konoha won't take you back. It would just be for show, but no one else needs to know that. He'd probably do it, if Naruto and Temari asked him to. But your sister and Neji might be a problem. I don't suppose you could try talking to them?"

Hinata couldn't imagine Neji being talked into anything. Hanabi, on the other hand, hadn't seemed happy about their reunion, just somewhat satisfied to at least be together in one room again. And she hadn't prevented Hinata from touching her, either. Maybe there was some hope, if only a little.

0000000

Hinata's first priority the next morning was to make up with Temari. Unfortunately, Temari could really hold a grudge under the right circumstances, so about the only thing Hinata could do right away was send Akamaru in an attempt to soften up the Sand jounin beforehand. Temari was happy enough to see him, but her face still darkened every time she saw Hinata.

Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Kankurou were all busy helping with the repairs to Temari's room, so Hinata hoped that assisting them might soften Temari's heart a little. Naruto and Sakura were delighted, Kankurou was mostly indifferent, and Shikamaru just said it was good that she wasn't being troublesome (which Naruto assured her was high praise, coming from him). The work went quickly between the five of them, especially when Naruto summoned a black-striped crimson toad he introduced as Gamakougu, which spat a sticky substance that hardened in a matter of seconds.

After they were done, Naruto put Hinata on the spot by asking if she'd tell them about her adventures up until now. Kankurou had heard most of it before, and left to let Gaara know the room was finished. Shikamaru didn't look all that interested, but when Hinata agreed to share her story, he sat down next to Naruto, and looked for all the world to be daydreaming. However, Hinata could sense that he was taking in every word, though she couldn't imagine why her experience would matter to him.

Even though the story took most of the day to tell, not once did Hinata see Hanabi or Neji. Naruto insisted that he'd felt someone watching them at various points, but that could've just as easily been Shino or Gaara. More than once, Hinata considered Sakura's suggestion to try talking to Hanabi. But she also knew her sister well enough to know that if Hanabi didn't emerge on her own, she was in no mood for talking.

The rest of the week passed in much the same way. Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru took turns telling Hinata of their own adventures. Not surprisingly, Naruto seemed to have more stories than the other two combined, although he had to stop and retell the parts that Sakura knew for a fact he'd exaggerated to impress Hinata. Even Shikamaru seemed to have a gift for knowing when Naruto was lying, and would snort loudly whenever a story got too ridiculous for his tastes.

Hinata didn't really care whether Naruto lied a little (or a lot); she actually enjoyed the company more than she did the stories. It was nice to be around old friends again, and even nicer when Naruto would casually slip an arm around her waist and pull her closer to him. Normally, Hinata would consider that moving too fast, but it was Naruto, after all, and with the very real possibility that her life could end any day now, Hinata found she didn't even mind the rush.

0000000

Naruto and Hinata were returning from walking Akamaru in Gaara's courtyard one morning when Kankurou stepped into their path.

"Gaara wants to see both you right away."

Hinata had been around Kankurou long enough to know that he almost never referred to Gaara as the Kazekage, although the sincerity in his tone when he was handling a matter at Gaara's request was unmistakable.

Instead of saying anything, Naruto just nodded, a grim expression on his face. Although there was no trace of it as he turned to Hinata with a smile. "Let's go see what Gaara wants."

It was a little odd, how Naruto could suddenly shift from one mood to another, but Hinata suspected it was only a front for her benefit, and that he was really just as worried as she was. She trusted Gaara to keep his word, but he was also responsible for Suna's stability. If he had to choose between protecting Hinata and protecting his village, she was almost certain he'd be loyal to his home. And despite what her own past might indicate, she didn't blame him for that at all.

No one spoke as the three made their way to Gaara's office. Usually Naruto wouldn't have stopped talking for any reason, and the thought of him being quiet willingly only made Hinata more nervous. But before she could say anything, she felt the familiar, comforting weight of Naruto's arm around her waist. Hinata subtly squeezed his hand, and was rewarded with a quick grin.

The first thing Hinata noticed upon stepping into Gaara's office was that Neji and Temari were standing side by side near the left wall. This struck her as odd, since there was some obvious friction between them whenever they'd come into contact with each other.

Hanabi had her back to the door, and was standing in front of Gaara's desk. And though Hanabi didn't move from that spot, Hinata could feel her sister's eyes tracking her every move.

"As two parties have expressed an interest in having Hinata released into their custody," Gaara said, "I see only one way to decide this matter. Each party will select a representative to battle on their behalf. Whoever wins will be free to decide Hinata's fate."

Hinata had actually been expecting a day like this would come, and while she hadn't looked forward to it, she believed that she was mentally prepared for such a challenge.

"I'll fight for Hinata," Naruto volunteered almost immediately.

"You will not," Gaara disagreed just as quickly. "Hinata must be willing to fight for her own life, or the challenge is pointless."

Naruto opened his mouth to disagree, but Hinata placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will fight," she said simply.

Gaara nodded. "Then tomorrow, your fate is sealed. Go."

Taking a deep breath, Hinata turned to face Neji. "I am not the same person I once was," she murmured.

Neji stared at her blankly. "You are remembering the last time we fought? It will do you no good, Hinata. Had I been trying to hurt you then, the outcome would've been very different."

"Still, I learned from it."

A thin smile appeared on Neji's face. "As I said, it will do you no good. I am not the one you will face tomorrow."

Hanabi moved between them, pausing to glance at Hinata. "I hope you have changed, Hinata. Because if you have not, then your life already belongs to me. And you will find that, unlike Neji, I am not quite so forgiving."

Hinata stared at younger sister, shock and hurt warring for control of her face. "Hanabi-chan," she whispered. "You really expect me to...? I can't hurt-"

"The next time we see each other, you will be my enemy. If you are unable to see me as the same, then you will lose much more than the battle."

Hinata could only look on in disbelief as Hanabi and Neji left the room. She barely even noticed when Naruto squeezed her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Hinata?" he asked.

"I don't know anymore," Hinata said softly.

Naruto sighed heavily. "I know she's your baby sister and everything, but... you know you can't go easy on her, right? Whatever she may have been, she's ANBU now. She could kill you without a thought. And I'd be more worried if she actually did put some thought into it."

Hinata stared at him in horror. "But, Naruto-kun, I can't hurt her again!"

"Are you even sure that you can hurt her now?" Naruto asked skeptically. "I haven't seen either of you fight recently, but I know she's tough. I'll tell you the same thing Kakashi-sensei told me when I first had to fight him. Attack as if you intend to kill, or you won't stand a chance."

Hinata slept soundly only out of necessity that night, though she knew it would do her no good. She couldn't possibly raise a hand against Hanabi. She had once hoped that running away would mean that Hanabi would never have to deal with her again. Now that they had been reunited, Hinata wished their conflict would just disappear, so they could be... whatever they had been before. What good had finding her own strength been, if she was now forced to use it against someone she loved?

0000000

Hinata woke up the following morning to find Hanabi staring at her from Sakura's bed. Oddly, Hinata's first thought was that perhaps Hanabi had been there all night, even though she distinctly recalled going to bed just after Sakura had.

"I give you one last chance to surrender, Hinata," Hanabi announced.

"What would happen if I did?" Hinata asked uncertainly.

"The same thing that will happen eventually, either way, I suspect." Hanabi glanced towards the door. "The Kazekage has agreed with my request that this remain a private matter with as few people involved as is necessary. Naruto-san will act as a witness on your behalf."

"And Neji will be yours," Hinata found herself saying without thinking.

"Yes." Hanabi gave her a long, searching look. "Well?"

"You know I don't want to fight you, Hanabi-chan. You know this will be the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"Life is rarely about obtaining what we desire, Hinata." A thin smile graced her lips for an instant. "I learned that from watching you."

Hinata wasn't sure how to take that. But when she next looked at Hanabi, her younger sister was standing, and had extended her hand.

"Come. We both know you will not surrender now."

It was a very strange thing, to accept Hanabi's offered hand. They had never really been physically affectionate. At least, Hanabi hadn't. Hinata had very vague memories of briefly touching her sister's arm or hand, and once being allowed to hold her when she'd been just an infant. But very few of those hazy images inspired the sort of connection she felt when she grasped Hanabi's hand.

And then, just as soon as Hanabi had pulled her up, the momentary bond was broken, leaving Hinata feeling rejected and confused as she watched Hanabi withdraw her hand. Perhaps she'd just imagined it, and some of those mildly comforting visions as well.

Hinata thought nothing of getting dressed with Hanabi in the room, not even as she carefully selected the gear and weapons she thought she might need. Any item she picked up, Hanabi would only identify with a glance later on, and so there was no real point in trying to hide anything. Aside from that, based on Naruto's warning the day before, Hinata wasn't all that sure that many things in her usual arsenal would be too effective against Hanabi.

And yet she knew she'd feel dishonest and silly asking Hanabi to extend the same courtesy to her. Even if she was now reasonably sure that Hanabi might seriously consider agreeing, it just felt wrong.

Not a word passed between them as they moved out into the hallway, where Neji, Naruto, and Akamaru were waiting. Neji gave Hinata a fleeting glance, perhaps to simply make sure it was truly her, before falling in step with Hanabi.

"You ready?" Naruto asked quietly, leaning closer to Hinata as they followed. "Just say the word, and I'll take them both on myself, no matter what-"

"I can't let you do that, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied softly. "This is my fight. I have been preparing for it since the moment I left. If I lose, I can only blame myself. If I win, I will know my decision was not a mistake."

"I just want you be alive afterwards."

Hinata paused, and she could clearly see the worry in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. I was planning on telling you that it didn't matter if you won or lost. And maybe it doesn't. But if they... if she takes you away from me again, I-"

"I do not ever recall belonging to you, Naruto-kun." There was pain in those words, but she managed them with a weak smile.

The look he gave her was one of regret. "Well, I wish you'd said something last night, then."

Hinata's entire face glowed red. "This is hardly the time to be thinking about such things..."

"I can't help it. Temari told me what you said to Hanabi the other day. How am I supposed to feel about that?"

"You should trust that I am doing what I must. Life isn't always about what we want."

Naruto stared at her. "Funny. That's all my life's been about. But I don't think I've ever wanted anything as much as I want you to come out of this okay."

She avoided his eyes. "I cannot promise that, Naruto-kun."

"I fought for you, you know. At the chuunin exam. I wore your symbol, and I beat Neji because of it."

"Sakura told me that."

"So it's only fair that you fight for me, right?" Naruto asked. "But not just for me. Fight for the right to go home again, Hinata. Like I said, I don't think you can kill Hanabi, but you'll have to try to in order to last. If you don't, she'll know. It might just make her mad."

Hinata clearly remembered how hurtful Hanabi could be when she was disappointed. She didn't even want to imagine what her sister would do if she were angry.

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Gaara had offered the use of his private courtyard for the battle. There was nothing there that couldn't be replaced: a few small trees, a dried-up fountain (he hadn't seen the point in wasting the water just to show off his status), and plenty of sand.

Hinata had come here many times in the last few months, and the courtyard had looked so very small to her then. Now, though, it seemed nearly as wide as the desert she had crossed to reach Suna. Temari had been with her in both cases, but today, Hinata could depend only on her own strength, and Akamaru's survival instincts.

"Why must it be this way?" Hinata murmured softly, staring across the sand at her sister. "Is this really what you want, Hanabi-chan? For us to hurt each other?"

There was no trace of inner conflict or hesitation in Hanabi's expression as she closed her eyes and tied her Leaf headband around her forehead. Slowly, she lifted her head and opened her eyes.

Hinata could feel the air changing around her. Every motion in the courtyard seemed to slow down to a crawl, and perhaps that, more than anything else, was what made the sight of Hanabi's long hair rising and spreading into something of a large, black halo around her head so startling.

"I want you to forget, Hinata," Hanabi said in a loud, clear voice. "Forget who we are now, and who we once were. For now, your world only consists of the three of us. We are not Hyuuga or Leaf-nin. We are only two women who have come together to fight for what each believes in her heart to be right. As such, you must come at me with all of your power. I will accept nothing less from you."

Though she could hear the words, Hinata could not bring herself to accept them. She could not forget or ignore that Hanabi was her sister, and even now, she desperately hoped that it would be the same for Hanabi. That hope remained as Hanabi drew a sword from her robes, and still Hinata made no move to prepare herself. Hinata couldn't even bring herself to give Akamaru permission to join her. Until she did so, the dog would stay out of the fight, unless he thought that her life was at risk.

Hanabi held her sword in her right hand with obvious reverence. Hinata could see that this was no standard issue ANBU weapon. The blade had a strange blue tint to it, and was a bit shorter than even the average short sword. It would definitely be a mistake to underestimate it simply because of that, though. No Hyuuga would carry a weapon they didn't have an excellent use for. Hinata had been reminded of that fact the moment she first picked up her bone staff so long ago, back when she thought such things still applied to her somewhat.

But while Hanabi exuded confidence and calm as she raised her sword, Hinata's hands felt heavy and clumsy when she gripped her staff. She was very aware of the fact that Temari had been holding back when they fought, and so that hadn't been an accurate gauge of either woman's skill. There was no real reason to believe that Hanabi would hold back now, not since she was the one forcing the fight in the first place.

The first attack was completely unexpected, largely because Hanabi was holding a sword in the first place. Instead of closing the distance between them, as Hinata had been expecting, Hanabi simply slashed downward. There was no other visible sign of attack, and Hinata was in the midst of activating her Byakugan when the world suddenly exploded all around her.

For several moments, Hinata was only aware of the roaring wind and the sharp sting of sand as it struck her skin hard enough to draw blood. She realized with a start that whatever jutsu this was, it was remarkably similar to the summoning she used with Akamaru. The main difference was that while Hinata's version protected her and offered some visibility, Hanabi's was somewhat painful and obscured all vision with a constantly moving wave of sand.

That was when Hinata first noticed that, for the most part, the sand wave parted just before it reached her, although it was clearly striking the surrounding area much harder. Had she taken a single step in any direction, she would've been swept under the sand. Yet the mere fact that she hadn't been seriously hurt pointed to the idea that Hanabi wasn't trying to kill her... yet.

Sending chakra into her staff, Hinata plunged the sharpened tip into the ground. The winds died down at once, dropping sand all around her. She activated the Byakugan immediately afterwards, but peering through the settling sand did not reveal Hanabi's current location.

A bark from Akamaru was the only warning Hinata had as a thick spear of ice shot up from the sand, slicing through the skin along her left arm before she could move away in time. The sight of her own blood slipping down the stalagmite of ice made Hinata freeze for a few seconds, long enough for a second spear to emerge behind her, tearing through her jacket and some of the skin on her back. She fell to her knees as more ice spears appeared around her, though none of these struck her.

"Is this what I have waited all my life for, Hinata?"

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Hinata looked up in time to feel two hands closing around her ankles, and the next thing she knew, she was buried in the sand up to her chin.

"Is this what you ran away to prove?" Hanabi asked as she stepped into view, no longer holding her sword. "Is this pathetic performance the sum of your abilities?" She knelt down, so Hinata could clearly see the disappointment in her eyes. "Is this how you would keep your promise to me? Where is the strength you promised to gain?"

Hinata closed her eyes and looked away. "I never promised that I would use it against you, Hanabi-chan."

"That is true," Hanabi admitted softly. "And while you may just be hiding this power, I am beginning to doubt that you have it at all."

"I kept my promise," Hinata insisted. "I became strong enough to survive on my own. And I never, never stopped loving you, Hanabi-chan."

Hanabi's face softened slightly. "Your love for me is something I have never questioned, Hinata. You were too silly and soft to feel otherwise, and I see that much has not changed. But your love blinds you to certain truths. However noble your reasons for leaving may have been, when you left, you hurt me, more deeply than I have ever been hurt. And if you truly love me... if you would have me forgive what you have done to my heart... then rise up, and attack me with all that you are." She paused and leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. "Because as of now, you are not even worth the effort it would take to kill you. And if you force me to dispose of you in this shameful state, then I will curse your name until the end of my days."

In that moment, Hinata was not thinking of her sister. She was thinking of all the people that had helped her along the way, and all that they had sacrificed to ensure her success. Kiba had given his own life so that she could live, and Shino had risked his very status as a ninja to cover her escape. And while she expected no less from them, as her teammates, there were so many others who had no real reason to aid her, other than they simply wanted her to survive. Even Hanabi had admitted to being disgusted with the current situation, and Hinata knew that if she had to die, this was not the way she wanted to be remembered by Naruto, Neji, and especially not Hanabi and Akamaru.

She remembered how brave Kiba had been that day in the Forest of Death, and knew that to give any less effort was a stain on his memory.

She had to fight... for herself, for her sister, for her friends, and for her very life.

The thought had barely formed in her mind when Akamaru crashed through the ice spears, snatching up her staff in his mouth and planting it deep in the sand. The firm grip on Hinata's body was gone in an instant, and she quickly grabbed onto the headband around Akamaru's neck so he could drag her free of the sand trap.

"Are you finally prepared to face me in battle, Hinata?" Hanabi asked calmly.

"No," Hinata replied at once. "I won't fight you, Hanabi-chan. Fortunately, in order to show you the sum of my abilities, I don't have to."

Hinata had no way of knowing that Hanabi had a near-perfect memory when it came to recognizing hand seals, or that Hanabi had first seen the same seals during Naruto and Neji's match at the chuunin exams. And yet, she was not at all surprised when Hanabi quickly backed away before she could complete the necessary seals for the Shadow Clone jutsu.

"You were right about one thing, Hanabi-chan," the four newly created Shadow Clones said in perfect unison as they formed a square-shaped perimeter around Hinata. "I am Hyuuga no more, as I will now prove with my ultimate jutsu: Hall of Inuzuka!"

Hinata made a sweeping motion with her arm, and all four Shadow Clones vanished behind thick columns of white smoke. It was difficult to tell whether she was starting another jutsu, or merely canceling the first. But the answer became clear as the smoke blew away to reveal four snarling dogs, each at least as big as Akamaru.

Hanabi had lived in Konoha long enough to recognize the other dogs of the Inuzuka Clan on sight. What stood before her were near-perfect likenesses, if overall size were ignored. Hinata had obviously seen them all at some point, from the grey-furred Haimaru Triplets to the black, scarred form of Kuromaru. And yet, Hanabi made no move to defend herself, as if she were waiting for something more.

Akamaru moved to stand directly behind Hinata, and his body began to glow a brilliant, angry red, until his fur was crimson.

Hinata took a slow step back, grabbed onto Akamaru's headband with one hand, and used the other to make another sweeping motion. The resulting column of smoke that erupted was much larger, and for good reason. A huge, white wolf's head tore from the smoke, followed by four others.

In the end, Hanabi found herself staring up at an enormous, five-headed wolf. Hinata swayed limply within the headband around its topmost neck, either unconscious or so close that it no longer mattered. She had placed all her faith in Akamaru's ability to win.

"If you would entrust the outcome to your companion, then I must do the same," Hanabi murmured. She shrugged off her robes, drew a kunai from them as they fell, and proceeded to slice through the bandages along the left side of her body. "Come forth and end your hunger."

Something neither liquid, nor gas, nor solid spilled from Hanabi's side, a churning, impossibly inky black mass. It flowed up into the air over her head, gradually taking up more and more space, but not assuming any definite shape.

There was no fear in Hanabi as the great wolf surged forward. She had decided years ago that this battle belonged to her, and had never doubted its outcome. Aside from that, her eyes told her all she needed to know. Virtually all of Hinata's chakra had gone into this jutsu, and Akamaru's reserves were on their last legs as well. It was taking all he had just to keep that form together. He would be able to attack once, maybe twice if he were bold and fast enough.

There was not even a need to search for any weak points. His entire body was extremely vulnerable in this state. Of course, his body was also incredibly powerful now, even missing much of its expected strength. A glancing blow would prove fatal to an unprepared opponent. But Hanabi had no intention of ever allowing Akamaru to get that close to her.

There was a sudden tugging sensation near her ribs, and Hanabi knew the time had come. Forcing all other thoughts from her mind, she concentrated on the image she had seen moments before: that of Kuromaru, a rugged, powerful, wolflike canine who had clearly lived through his share of hardships, no doubt paying far greater costs than just his left ear and right eye.

Had he ever been abandoned as she had? Perhaps not, but it didn't really matter. He would do quite nicely as her chosen vessel.

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For several seconds after she woke up, Hinata could only see white. Then she remembered where she was, and what she'd been doing right before she passed out. Instinctively clutching Akamaru's fur tighter, she drew her face back a few inches and began to take stock of their situation. She was running on empty, and Akamaru would be joining her soon enough. Unless the fight ended in the next few seconds, they would lose for sure.

Although, as a huge shadow fell over her, Hinata was suddenly considering the very real possibility that they might lose either way. A black wolf's head, somehow bigger than Akamaru even in his current state, was looming over her. She was only able to see it for a few seconds before the wolf opened its mouth, bared its sharp, dripping fangs, and then snapped them up faster than Hinata's eyes could follow.

The sensation that followed was almost like drowning, in that Hinata could sense that her body sinking lower and lower into dark mass, and yet she could breathe without any difficulty. She could no longer feel the reassuring warmth of Akamaru's fur, nor could she hear anything that might imply he was in trouble. And even when Hinata felt the brief flare of chakra that signaled the fusion had finally broken apart, she wasn't really worried.

But when the visions started to come, Hinata did begin to worry. Strangely, there were no twisting, flashing colors that might indicate she wasn't getting enough oxygen or anything like that. Everything she saw simply emerged from the enveloping darkness, and then sank back into it seconds later. It was almost as if someone were putting on a slideshow just for her.

She could see Shikamaru and a younger, heavily bandaged boy lying down in a grassy field, staring up at the sky as clouds slowly drifted past. Though the scene was tranquil, free of the usual complications that arose in the life of a ninja (and it was so like Shikamaru to find a way to avoid them), Hinata felt what she thought of as a completely unwarranted jealousy arise in her. She couldn't understand what might be causing it.

Then she saw a boy it took her a minute to recognize as Konohamaru, the Sandaime's grandson. He, Naruto, and Yamanaka Ino were standing behind the bookstore, a magazine with scantily clad women spread out on the ground between them. They were heatedly discussing something, and every few seconds, Konohamaru or Naruto would use a henge to transform themselves into similarly clad women. Ino seemed to be giving them pointers, though more often than not, she seemed disgusted, especially when the women kept ending up a great deal more top-heavy than was healthy (and in some cases, humanly possible). Hinata felt jealousy welling up in her again, although it was tinged with an even stranger sense of embarrassed pleasure when Konohamaru transformed into a woman that looked a great deal like Hanabi. That was what finally convinced her that the feelings weren't hers; they were Hanabi's, and these were things she had seen and felt in her life.

Finally, Hinata saw Hanabi lying on her stomach in a hospital bed, her face twisted in discomfort. A gorgeous blond woman was carefully etching some sort of black seal that looked as if it would take up most of Hanabi's back, under the watchful eye of a large, white-haired man. Morino Ibiki was kneeling by Hanabi's head, quietly speaking to her the whole time. Though she was mostly focused on his face, Hanabi's gaze would occasionally shift to an empty chair just behind him, almost as if she expected someone to be sitting there. Each new time she found it unchanged, Hanabi would grip the bed sheets tightly and close her eyes, fighting back a wave of intense loneliness.

Tears slipped down Hinata's face as she realized that this was her fault. Had she been present in each of those scenes, Hanabi never would have felt the way she had then, or the way she did now. "I'm so sorry, Hanabi-chan," she whispered. "I wanted to be there for you... but I thought you would be better off without me. You were always so much stronger than me, and I knew you would survive on your own. If I'd thought for a second that you might need me..."

Hinata didn't have a chance to complete the thought as her body slammed heavily into the sand, though she barely felt it at all. The darkness rolled away a few seconds later, and she could see Akamaru lying nearby, clearly unconscious. She could only imagine what he might have experienced in there.

Then something was gently turning her head, and Hinata looked up to see Hanabi leaning over her.

"Now that you know my pain," Hanabi said softly in her ear, "I forgive you... oneesan."

"I'm sorry," Hinata whispered. "I'm still weak... still causing you shame..."

"No," Hanabi disagreed as Neji and Naruto appeared behind her. "You are strong, Hinata. My will to have you back was simply greater than your will to win."

Hinata blinked uncertainly. "Have me back? What do you mean?"

Hanabi didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned away and said something to Neji. In response, and to Hinata's shock, he quickly removed his Leaf headband and handed it to Hanabi, exposing his Cursed Seal for everyone present to see. Hanabi turned back and began securing the headband around Hinata's neck.

Chakra exhaustion finally caught up to Hinata, and she began to lose consciousness, but not before she caught her sister's last words.

"Your life belongs to me now, Hinata. And I have no intention of ever letting it go again."

**End of Part 6.**

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**Endnotes:**

I assume that the Aburame Clan's pact with insects also covers summoning, and since Shino can control more than one type of insect, I imagine that he could summon different varities, the same way Naruto summons different toads (supposedly they're all children of Gamabunta, but I have to wonder since some of Jiraiya's go unnamed).

Hinata's new jutsu:

**White Sight:** This jutsu allows Hinata to temporarily "trade" some vision capabilities with Akamaru. For example, when Akamaru smells a powerful opponent, Hinata can grant him temporary use of some Byakugan aspects to discern said opponent's exact location, appearance, etc., and pass the knowledge to her. Since dogs are colorblind, these images would largely be in shades of black and white.

**Henge (Transformation): Hall of Inuzuka:** The jutsu consists of two different henges. First, Hinata creates four Shadow Clones and turns them into the other Inuzuka dogs with a Henge. Meanwhile, Akamaru supercharges his body with chakra (as he would for the Akanata Comet). Finally, Hinata fuses all five dogs with another Henge (Hinata is left out of the fusion), resulting in a gigantic, white, five-headed wolf. This fusion uses nearly all of both Hinata and Akamaru's chakra (Akamaru can only maintain this form for a short time), making it an all or nothing gamble.

Hanabi's new jutsu:

**Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique)** A high-speed movement technique. It is described as 'appearing with the wind and disappearing like the wind.' Using chakra to activate the body, the user is able to move from one point to another with extreme speeds. This super-fast movement is almost impossible to see with the naked eye. To a normal person, it would seem as if the user has teleported.

**Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis Technique)** This technique is used to cause one's opponent to lose the advantage of movement. Freezing them in their tracks, this creates an opening for a more dangerous attack. The ANBU are known especially for this Jutsu.

**Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)** The user sends out a powerful explosion of wind, which can easily level almost an entire area. Hanabi can only perform this jutsu with her sword, **Himei** (shriek), which has many tiny holes in the blade that produce a high-pitched whine while in motion. Hanabi uses Himei exclusively for this jutsu, and not for actual sword fighting.

**Hyoro no Jutsu (Ice Prison Technique)** The user creates a series of ice crystals which home in on the opponent and trap him in ice. Unlike Water Prison Technique, no further action seems to be required to maintain the prison once the victim is caught. This jutsu may also be used defensively, as a wall of ice. Hanabi's variant of this jutsu is more focused on harming the enemy while entrapping them.

**Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Inner Decapitation Technique, a.k.a. Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu)** The user, emerging from the ground below the target, pulls down (or possibly swaps places with) the target so that only the target's head is above ground. (This is the same jutsu Kakashi uses on Sasuke during the bell test)

**Hanabi's final jutsu** is really the ultimate form of her talent. Mind you, it only takes the shape of a wolf because it's convenient at the time; Hanabi has no connection to any particular animal. Hinata can see the jutsu without the Byakugan because Hanabi is strengthening the attack with a great deal of chakra.

I've decided to give Hanabi ice and shadow affinities (the latter doesn't exist in the manga or anime, to my knowledge). What that means is that any jutsu she performs using those two elements are naturally stronger, and easier for her than others (for example, Sasuke has fire and lightning, so he commonly uses fire jutsu and various Chidori attacks). Note that some shinobi are so exceptional in their element that they can literally summon it from thin air (most water jutsu would require that water be present first).

Naruto's summons:

**Gamaassai** - "crushing toad" (I think). Naruto would use this toad for his own version of Jiraiya's Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu (Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer Technique), in which a huge toad crashes into a specified target with great force. This toad is smaller, but still big and strong enough to carry a four-man team for some time (or instantly create sunroofs).

**Gamakougu** - "tool toad" (I hope). A toad that Naruto would commonly use for fixing the things he would invariably break. Gamakougu can comfortably carry one person on his back for brief periods, and spits various liquids that are similar to glue, quick-drying cement, water, and flammable fuel.

Hinata referring to Hanabi as "-chan" is not meant to be disrespectful, even though this is the first time she's done so to Hanabi's face. Because Hinata is no longer a Hyuuga, she is able to address Hanabi the way she's always wanted to, even though they are technically no longer sisters. This is a way of reinforcing that she still loves Hanabi. It is important to note that Hanabi could demand that Hinata not do this, but doesn't.

Shino, Neji, and Shikamaru are all jounin at this point. Naruto, Sakura, and Hanabi are chuunin. I feel the need to point out that these "official" rankings are not always the best measure of who can defeat who. Naruto has a tendency to brawl with people well above his rank, and Hanabi is chuunin level in name only. These rankings do still matter in terms of deployment (jounin accompanying or leading those of lower rank on missions), so I tend to have at least one jounin on every team that leaves Konoha.

Originally, I planned for Hinata to use all sorts of new attacks against Hanabi. Then I remembered that this was Hinata, and changed my mind. I think it would take a great deal of punishment for Hinata to consider a loved one an enemy. She strikes me as being very longsuffering (some would say naive) when it comes to a relative harming her, physically or otherwise. And even when pushed to the point where she simply has to fight, I can't see her enjoying inflicting pain on someone close to her, so drawing out the fight doesn't fit her, either. Taking into account that: A) Hinata is technically using an Inuzuka clan technique without actually being a member (this is why I never have her original body fuse with Akamaru), B) Hanabi is the second jounin-level opponent Hinata has faced, and C) Hinata doesn't have demonic chakra, so I didn't want her to come off as too powerful. I think using what is practically a Naruto-level jutsu, especially one that should be exclusive to another clan, would more than drain most of, if not all of Hinata's chakra (similar to the way the Sharingan drains Kakashi).

A note on killing intent. Despite the fact that ninja in Naruto have taken it to a whole other level, I've only seen a detailed description in one fanfic (odd, considering how much it gets tossed around). So a big thank you to **shadowmaster62**, and the story in which this was described, "**Never Cut Twice**," the best completed epic-length Naruto fanfic I've ever read. Fittingly enough, the person lecturing on killing intent there is Itachi (I love how amazingly, amusingly human Itachi and Kisame are portrayed there). He talks about how there are a vast number of small motions that inspire fear in humans, and how combining many of these motions at once can result in a fear so great, the enemy can't move. (in Chapter 8, but I strongly suggest reading the whole thing). It only makes sense that a Hyuuga's most effective way of using killing intent would be through their eyes, their most defining characteristic. Although just activating the Byakugan would probably be enough to freeze most people in their tracks.

The scenes Hinata saw while trapped in Hanabi's 'talent': Shikamaru and his cousin Kouji cloud-gazing, Konohamaru and Naruto perfecting the Sexy Jutsu by getting tips from an actual girl (and probably the only one that could be convinced to do so, I think), Tsunade and Jiraiya (keep in mind Hinata has yet to meet either of them) overseeing the sealing of Hanabi's talent.


	7. Foxes and Hounds, Part 1

Notes: It would be a very good idea to read both chapters of "Rise of the Rokudaime" if you haven't yet. Also I take some liberties with Kyuubi and seals in general, but it's nothing too fantastic, I don't think. And sorry for the wait on this one, but I'm wrapping up Hinata's portion of the series, and consequently there's a LOT going on here. The next chapter will be more of an epilogue that rounds out Hinata's tale (and, incidentally, prepares you for someone else's).

And so there's no confusion, I changed the chapter title at the last minute; this was tentatively titled "The Greatest Hokage," but it ends up being more about other things. And because this chapter was sixty pages before editing, and still roughly fifty afterwards, I thought I'd be nice and split it in two.

**White Dog Night**

**Part 7: Foxes and Hounds**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

Hinata awoke with a start as something with a powerful odor passed under her nose.

"I knew it; she just fainted again," Sakura sighed as she gently brushed Hinata's long hair out of her face. "Naruto, help her sit up."

Strong arms wrapped around Hinata's body and carefully moved her into a sitting position against a nearby tree.

"Hinata, I'm getting the feeling you're not really ready for this," Sakura murmured softly, looking a little worried.

"Why?" Hinata asked hoarsely.

"Because that's the third time you've fainted in the same mile. I know you probably can't help it, but the last thing we need is you passing out at the gate. Things will probably be tense enough as it is."

"I-I'm just a little nervous," Hinata muttered, looking down.

"Maybe you should eat something?" Naruto suggested at once.

"I don't think she could keep anything down right now," Sakura disagreed.

Naruto scowled a bit childishly. "Well, we have to do something! Otherwise she's just going to fall off of Akamaru again."

"Perhaps she should walk."

All three of them turned to see Hanabi and Neji standing a few feet away, looking annoyed, among other things.

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked after a long moment.

Hanabi sighed. "You're worried about her falling off of her dog again. The obvious solution is not to put her back on the dog. If nothing else, the fall would be shorter next time."

"I don't think-"

"That's fairly obvious, but I don't see how it helps the situation. Let her walk. There is no need to treat her like a helpless child."

Sakura glared at her. "She's not well-"

"She is afraid," Neji corrected, "and the only thing to do is face that fear. If she truly required medical attention, we would know before you did."

Sakura wanted to argue, but Neji did have a point. She'd had to call for a Byakugan user more than a few times in her career as a medic-nin, and the latest time, it had been Neji himself that helped her with a rather difficult case.

"I'm sure I can walk for a while," Hinata said quietly as Naruto helped her stand. She wobbled a little, and leaned on Akamaru as he quickly moved closer.

"Try picturing Kankurou naked, but with a puppet's body," Naruto whispered in her ear.

Hinata turned her head to gape at him.

"What? That always wakes me up really quick. Gets me in the mood to run, too."

That didn't put Hinata in the mood to run at all, although she did have to cover her mouth to keep from giggling too loudly. And for some reason, the image got stuck in her head, and she largely forgot to be nervous.

Hanabi hadn't said much at all since they'd started the trip, but she had encouraged Hinata to consider what she intended to do once she got settled. Hinata knew that she wanted to pass the chuunin exam right away, but after that, it got a bit hazy. Sakura had mentioned that there was always a need for more medic-nin, and that Hinata probably had the right disposition for it, since she hated to see people get hurt and suffer. Naruto was convinced that Hinata would make a good Academy teacher, and claimed that he would've done a lot better at that stage if he'd had a cute teacher. Sakura thought he would've done even worse, and Hinata agreed, but she decided not to say so.

Neji, surprisingly enough, suggested that Hinata might be happier working in the Yamanaka flower shop, and Hinata was touched that he'd remembered how much she liked flowers. Sakura was a little embarrassed that she hadn't thought of that, and Naruto teased her mercilessly, swearing he was going to tell Ino that Sakura had nearly lost her a potential employee.

* * *

Not surprisingly, Hinata started feeling a little queasy when she spotted the gates of Konoha, and more specifically, the guards. She didn't think Shino would be on hand to provide a distraction this time, and wasn't quite sure what kind of welcome, if any, she was going to get.

But either by coincidence or design, Hanabi was the first one to reach the gates. She didn't say much, but whatever she said had an instant impact on the guards, as they moved aside to let the party through. Hinata had to wait for a moment while one guard checked her temporary pass, and stared into her eyes longer than she was comfortable with. Finally, though, he returned her pass with a gruff but heartfelt, "Welcome back."

Hinata was confused until Sakura pulled her aside. "That man was seriously wounded during the chuunin exams. Hanabi spotted a blockage in his heart and saved his life. She and Neji helped a lot of people then. That was when they first started believing that it was possible to change fate. I don't think either of them would feel that way if you'd stayed."

There was no time for Hinata to ponder that little revelation, because Akamaru began to bark like mad as he bolted down the road, nearly knocking two women to the ground as he jumped at them.

"Akamaru, stop!" Hinata cried as she chased after him. Akamaru hadn't misbehaved in years, and she couldn't imagine what might have caused him to act up now. She was just about to start offering apologies to the two women when she finally recognized them, and immediately understood why Akamaru had 'attacked' them.

Inuzuka Hana and Yuuhi Kurenai stared unbelievingly at the huge dog towering over them, then at Hinata, and then back at the dog.

"A-Akamaru?" Hana whispered in shock as the dog pressed his nose into her hair. "There's no way! How did you get so... BIG?"

Hinata was about to offer an explanation, but when she saw how intensely her former sensei was staring at her, the words died in her throat.

"Hinata," Kurenai said in a firm, frightening tone, narrowing her red eyes.

"Y-Yes, Kurenai-sensei?" Hinata whispered, feeling twelve years old all over again.

"You are over ten years late for your next training session. You've set an outstanding record for tardiness in this village, and I sincerely hope that you don't intend to make a habit of it on my watch, young lady."

Her eyes widening, Hinata quickly shook her head. "No, of course not, sensei!"

"Good," Kurenai replied softly, her voice trembling as she drew Hinata into her arms and kissed the top of her head. "And if you ever worry me like that again..."

"I won't!" Hinata promised, shutting her eyes tightly as she felt what could only be Kurenai's tears dampening her hair. "I'll never run away again, sensei!"

"I know you won't," Kurenai murmured into her hair. "Because Shino and I are going to watch you every moment until you pass the chuunin exam, even if I have to keep you under my own roof again."

"Could I really stay with you?" Hinata asked hopefully when Kurenai released her.

"You'd have to get it cleared with the Hokage first," Kurenai answered with a smile. "And speaking of the Hokage, don't you have a meeting you need to get to? Naruto, Sakura, you two better come with me."

"We'll come and get you later, Hinata!" Naruto shouted, waving as he and Sakura left to follow Kurenai.

"And I'd say this is one dog in need of a thorough check-up," Hana declared, patting Akamaru's neck. She aimed a sharp look at Hinata. "You know, when you promised you wouldn't let him get fat, I didn't expect him to come back over ten times his original weight."

"He's not fat!" Hinata insisted weakly. "It's all muscle..."

"Hmm. I'll be the judge of that. If he's in good shape, I'll drop him off tomorrow morning. And if he's not, then it'll just be me in a really foul mood."

"Have fun with your family, Akamaru," Hinata murmured, dropping a kiss on his nose. "Tomorrow I'll give you a nice, long belly rub, okay?"

Akamaru barked happily, his tail wagging as he followed Hana.

"I have some pressing business to attend to at home," Hanabi said abruptly. "Hinata, onii-san will make sure that you get-"

"He will do no such thing!" an angry voice interrupted.

Hinata turned around to see Tenten glaring at Neji, and just behind her, Temari, who was trying very hard not to laugh. Before Hinata could make any sense of the situation, Tenten grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from Neji, who sighed and shook his head.

"It appears I will be accompanying you, Hanabi," he said, turning away from Tenten all too readily.

In response, Tenten made some rather rude gestures behind Neji's back, which she obviously knew he could see, if he'd been so inclined.

Temari clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from snickering.

"WE'LL take you to the Hokage, Hinata," Tenten announced loudly. "Since SOME people can't be trusted to look after your well-being."

Hinata could only look on in confusion as Hanabi and Neji quickly departed. "What just happened...?"

"Lover's spat," Temari answered as they walked. "Don't worry, you'll know all about them one day. Let's get moving, before that vein in Tenten's forehead pops."

Sure enough, when Hinata looked, there was a bulging vein on Tenten's forehead that easily rivaled those that supported the Byakugan.

"But... what were they fighting about?" Hinata asked.

Temari shrugged. "I know it had something to do with Hanabi leaving the village in full shinobi hunter mode, and Neji not doing anything to stop her. You can try asking Tenten, but odds are she'll just break the nearest object and stomp around for a while. And whatever you do, don't mention his name, or she'll rant for a whole hour."

"You want to know why we're fighting?" Tenten demanded. "Because Neji is a big, coldhearted... JERK!"

"What, he forgot your anniversary?" Temari guessed.

Tenten shot her a scathing look. "At this rate, there won't ever BE an anniversary for him to forget!"

Hinata couldn't help feeling guilty. She'd never seen Tenten and Neji have any problems, not until the day she'd activated his Cursed Seal. It hadn't occurred to her that they might never move past it, and so far as she knew, Tenten was the only woman alive stubborn enough to put up with Neji for extended periods. If something drove them apart, there was a very good chance that Neji would be alone for the rest of his life.

"Tenten... you know how Neji is," Hinata murmured. "He wouldn't apologize unless there was no other choice, and he doesn't mean to upset you..."

Tenten snorted. "If he had just been honest with me, I wouldn't be mad. Instead, he deceived me and over half of the village. He promised he would never shut me out of his life, or lie to me, and he's broken both of those promises recently. So since he's so happy being secretive, he can just do it by himself!"

"Yeah, let him sweat for a while," Temari agreed. "It'll do him some good, I think. Once he figures out you're the best thing he's got, he'll come around."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"Sure, I'm sure. And how would you know, anyway? Naruto's always been a jerk. He's just an unusually sweet jerk, so it's not as obvious. I guess Tenten likes her men sour."

"And you like yours bland," Tenten countered.

"At least I know mine doesn't have any secrets," Temari said, smirking. "Too much work to keep them from me."

* * *

Hinata had no idea what to expect as the twin doors to the Hokage's office swung open. She'd completely missed out on the reign of the Godaime Hokage, who, according to Naruto, had been a hot-tempered old lady who was equally violet whether drunk or sober. He hadn't said anything descriptive about the current Hokage, though, and now that Hinata thought about it, no one had. It was almost as if they were purposely keeping her in the dark.

She could see no reason for that as she stepped into the office, but assumed it had something to do with tighter security in the village. She was technically still a missing-nin, after all, and that was why she needed the Hokage's permission to stay in the first place.

The room had a slightly strange feel to it, and Hinata only became aware of that after standing in it alone for a few minutes. Something about the air made her feel like she had walked into a trap, and she was just about send chakra to her nose for a big sniff when she heard the doors close behind her.

"Have a seat," said a rough, somewhat familiar voice.

Hinata turned her head and gasped in surprise. "Morino-san?"

"Good to see all that time away didn't hurt your memory," Morino Ibiki commented as he moved past her and sat down behind the desk.

She glanced around a few times before slowly sinking into a chair. "Am I in the right place? I was supposed to see the Hokage about changing my... status."

He grunted. "They keep the Hokage pretty busy these days. I'll be the one handling your... let's call it a transfer, for now. Unfortunately, you've got three things working against you: you're still a genin as far as we're concerned, there are a few powerful people who don't completely trust you, and last, that business in Suna basically made you Hanabi's ward."

"How is the last one bad?"

"It's bad because Hanabi will probably be named the new Hyuuga clan head within a few months. So she'll either have to accept you back into the clan, or pretty much put you out on the street. And knowing the elder Hyuuga the way you do, you realize why we provided a list of places for you to stay. Hanabi's young, and she can only do so much right away that her clan elders will agree to."

"Is there nothing I can do?" she asked.

"You can start by finding a place to stay, and once that's approved, picking up your training where you left off. The chuunin exams are just over two weeks away, and I strongly suggest you take them for several reasons. First, having been out on your own for so long, there's no reason you shouldn't do well. Second, becoming a chuunin in good standing will give you a lot more freedom around here. You'll still be watched, but not as closely, and you'll literally be your own person. After that, you could choose a career, get your own place, even distance yourself from the Hyuuga. But all of that depends entirely on you proving that you're competent and trustworthy."

"I'll take the exams," Hinata said softly. "But... I'll still need two teammates who haven't passed it yet..."

"That's no problem," Ibiki answered at once. "One of the teams intending to participate unexpectedly had a member drop out. You can take the exam with them. They're young, but I hear they're very talented. You could probably teach them a few tricks, if you can get them to listen to you. Now, do you have any idea where you'd like to live for the time being?"

"Yes. My sensei, Yuuhi Kurenai, offered to let me stay with her."

"Good choice. Very good choice," Ibiki noted approvingly. "Now the only trouble is the Council of Elders."

Hinata stared at him, clearly confused. "I don't understand..."

"Those people I mentioned? The ones that don't trust you? They're all on the Council. It's nothing personal, I'm sure. Probably they're just respecting Hiashi's memory, although it's a damn foolish way to do so. But the worst they could do at this stage is keep you out of the chuunin exams, by requiring that you be vouched for by three respectable people in the village. The catch is, they'd have to come forward on their own. I doubt it'll be a problem, though. Between Naruto and Sakura, the word will get out. All you really need to worry about are the exams."

Hinata bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Morino-san. You have been a great help to me."

He shook his head. "Don't thank me, Hinata. Hanabi wouldn't have brought you here if she didn't want you to get your life back on track. Just make sure that you honor her commitment to you."

Only when he had dismissed Hinata did Ibiki sigh and turn to his associates as they canceled the genjutsu that had hidden them from Hinata's eyes. "Well, what do you think?"

"I say she's got an honest face," Anko said. "And I don't trust anybody."

"She hasn't changed, from what I've seen," Kakashi murmured. "But I haven't decided if that's good, or bad. Yet. I'll need to speak to her to be sure."

* * *

Hinata had just stepped out of the building and into the afternoon sunlight when she heard a voice call out to her.

"I've never thought it right for a young woman to have to go anywhere alone. Shouldn't that dog of yours be with you?"

"Kakashi-sensei!" Hinata cried happily, whirling and throwing her arms around him. "It's so good to see you!"

"Is it, now?" Kakashi asked slowly, a little overwhelmed by the display of affection. "And why is that?"

"You have no idea how much your lessons have helped us!"

"I'm pretty sure there was just the one," he pointed out.

"Well, yes, that's true," Hinata admitted, releasing him. "But it helped us so much! Akamaru is stronger than ever, and he can even stimulate chakra production on his own now!"

"Sounds like you have one very gifted dog. Where is he, anyway?"

"Oh, Hana insisted on giving him a check-up, and he probably could use one. Besides, he should have some time to visit with his family."

"So, are you happy to be back?" he asked in what had to be one of the most disarming tones she'd ever heard.

Hinata knew at once that it was the kind of question she shouldn't have hesitated on. And yet, she was positive Kakashi would instantly know if she weren't being completely honest with him.

"Yes," she said quietly, "but... being here again reminds me of the reasons I left... and that some people might not want me here, or alive at all, for that matter. I guess what I mean to say is that... it doesn't quite feel like home anymore. And I'm afraid no place ever will, now."

To her surprise, he laughed, though not unkindly.

"You sound just like Naruto. Whenever he's sent somewhere he doesn't think he'll like, he starts complaining before even giving the place a first glance." He reached out and gently patted the top of her head. "What I mean to say, Hinata, is that you haven't even been here a whole day yet. Maybe you should wait a little longer before deciding there's no place for you."

"I suppose you are right," Hinata admitted, lowering her head. "It's just... I don't want to be disappointed. And if I don't belong here, then where?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Well, Naruto and I know a nice family in the Land of Waves, but again, let's not be too hasty. I assume you'll be staying with Kurenai? She was one of your most vocal supporters before the Council of Elders, so I doubted she'd let you end up anywhere else."

"She was very insistent," Hinata agreed. "It will be nice to stay with her again. I always liked her home."

"Ah... I should tell you that she doesn't live in the same place anymore," he sighed. "She moved quite some time ago."

"Really? Why?" Hinata asked curiously.

Kakashi's exposed eye closed, and she could tell he was grinning behind his mask. "You see, Hinata, when a woman and a man have certain feelings for each other, they sometimes decide to live together in sin."

Hinata abruptly stopped walking, her mouth dropping open in shock.

Kakashi didn't pause at all. "Of course, that doesn't apply here, seeing as how your sensei got married. Poor Asuma bawled like a baby."

"Oh... that's so sad," Hinata whispered.

"No, it was pretty funny, actually. Obviously you've never seen a grown man in tears while his new bride tries to pretend she doesn't know him. I'm positive Anko has a picture hidden away somewhere for future blackmail..."

"They... got married?" Hinata asked in shock.

"I know, I couldn't believe it, either. But Kurenai did change her name, and it has been a few years, so I'm starting to think they might actually be serious about the whole thing."

* * *

The first thing Hinata noticed about the Sarutobi compound was that it was large, and yet somehow still modest. There were very few signs that this clan could have produced the Sandaime Hokage, and she thought that was rather fitting. The Hyuuga were more likely to remind everyone of their power, but this clan seemed more concerned with quiet dignity, much like the late Sandaime himself.

The second thing she noticed was Konohamaru, since he appeared in front of her less than three steps from the main entrance.

"Welcome, Hinata-san!" he said, flashing an almost unnaturally wide smile at her. "If there's anything I can do to make your time with us more-"

"You're Hanabi-chan's boyfriend, aren't you?" Hinata interrupted.

A rather pleased blush settled in the young man's cheeks. "Not exactly. At least, she never calls me that, but I know she'd kill me if I even thought about looking at anyone else the way I do her. We, um, have an understanding. You'd really have to ask her, and I'm not sure she'd tell anyone the details."

Hinata could see that Konohamaru had been trained not to give too much away about his relationship with Hanabi. But she wasn't going to let him off that easy. "How long have you two been together?"

He shrugged. "Depends on who you ask. I say from the moment we met, or when we became teammates, but Hanabi-chan only counts from when she first returned my affections. Either way, a long time."

"So then you've had plenty of time to ask her to marry you?" Hinata asked bluntly.

Surprisingly, Konohamaru's face fell. "More than enough. And if I thought there was even a chance that she'd changed her mind in all this time..."

That made Hinata pause. "You mean, you did ask her? And she said-"

"She didn't say no, exactly," he cut in. "But she didn't have to. There were... certain circumstances, and she decided that it was for the best if we stayed exactly where we were."

"But why-"

Konohamaru shook his head. "It's her business, Hinata-san. And I only know some of the reasons, anyway."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

He sighed. "Of course it does. But I can't complain. I know she'll never look at anyone else the way she looks at me, and that's enough. She doesn't give me everything I want, but I'm never lacking what I need. That's more than most people can say."

"You really do love her, don't you?" Hinata asked softly.

"With every breath I'll ever take," Konohamaru replied quietly. He blinked, shook his head slightly, and smiled. "Sorry. I was supposed to be giving you the grand tour. Kurenai oba-san would be really mad if I forgot to do that."

Hinata knew from experience that her sensei could be quite stern when she was displeased, and didn't doubt that Konohamaru had learned that very quickly. "Does she still do the genjutsu that makes you hear nothing but crickets for an hour?"

He grinned. "Yeah, but she usually just makes me listen to Ebisu-sensei for ten minutes. Compared to that, I almost prefer the crickets. Now, we'd better get to that tour before I really get in trouble."

The tour didn't take very long; Konohamaru just showed her the most important areas that would apply to her (bedroom, bathrooms, and kitchen), figuring she'd find the rest on her own. He also showed her his room, though Hinata wasn't quite sure why. The walls were all covered in life-size drawings of random villagers, most of them strikingly beautiful women. Konohamaru claimed they had helped him perfect his impressions, and Hinata believed him only after he'd turned into a likeness of her that rivaled her Shadow Clones.

She was quickly starting to suspect what it was that Hanabi liked about Konohamaru. Just being in his presence made her feel younger, and it was very hard not to smile when his eyes lit up every few minutes as he entertained her with stories of his adventures with his teammates. He was very much like Naruto, she realized with a start (the drawing of girl with a distinct resemblance to Naruto helped her make the connection), and wondered if Hanabi enjoyed or disliked that about him.

Hinata wasn't sure how long they'd been talking when a huge yawn suddenly slipped out of her mouth.

"I should've guessed you'd be tired after traveling," Konohamaru said apologetically. "Sorry I kept you from your rest, Hinata-san."

"Don't be," Hinata replied at once, smiling at him. "I've missed out on so much of my sister's life, and I like hearing stories about her and her friends. And you can stop trying so hard to impress me. I would never stand in anyone's way, if they could make her happy. And something tells me that you do."

"I try," Konohamaru admitted, scratching his head. "I've only seen her somewhat satisfied at best. I like to think that one day, I'll be able to make her happy, but I just don't know if one person alone can do that. But if she'd go to Suna to get you back, then maybe, between the two of us... we can get a smile or two out of her."

Hinata giggled softly. "That's definitely the best plan I've ever heard."

* * *

Though she'd only planned on a short nap, it was dark out when Hinata woke up in the room that had been set aside for her, which meant she'd been sleeping for at least a couple of hours. The room itself hadn't been used in some time, though the last occupant had probably been very young, if the childish doodles along the bottom of the walls were any indicator.

It occurred to Hinata that Naruto might be looking for her, since he'd mentioned coming back for her. Of course, being Naruto, he hadn't bothered to mention an hour or even a time of day, so for all she knew, he might not show up until the next morning. Konohamaru would probably know how best to get in touch with Naruto immediately, and once that was taken care of, she could worry about the rumbling complaints coming from her belly, as she had been too nervous to eat earlier.

Before Hinata could decide on anything, however, she heard familiar sounds floating through the house: Naruto saying something rather loudly, and immediately being shushed (somewhat violently, most likely) by Sakura. Smiling, Hinata got out of bed and hurried from the room, growing more excited with every step. She couldn't wait to tell them how well the meeting with Ibiki had gone, but as she drew closer to the voices, Hinata realized something.

There were definitely more than just two of them.

Preparing herself for anything, Hinata slowly poked her head around the final corner, and got quite a pleasant shock.

The first thing that caught her eye was the huge banner hanging from the ceiling, which read, "Welcome Home, Hinata!" And then there were the people under it. Hinata suspected they had been meaning to yell "Surprise!" as she entered the room, but she'd done it so quietly, and most of them were currently too busy arguing with each other to notice her. It took her a whole minute to realize that, with the exceptions of Kiba and Sasuke, every member of the Rookie Nine was in the same room again. There was also plenty of food spread out on a long table, and what looked like a pile of gifts over in one corner.

Shikamaru was the first to notice her. Not surprisingly, he'd been leaning against the wall the whole time, ignoring everyone else. With a huge sigh, he walked over and leaned in close so she could hear him over all the noise.

"So I hear you might be thinking about teaching at the Academy?"

"Um, well, maybe," Hinata answered hesitantly.

"Good," he said at once, seeming very relieved. "I've been looking for someone to lecture a class on wilderness survival. You'd be welcome to bring Akamaru, the kids would love that. It would only be for a few days, and you could only do it after you became a chuunin. Keep in mind, if you don't do it, I'm down to Temari, and I don't think either of us wants her influencing the next generation of ninja."

Shikamaru quickly excused himself, saying he had some paperwork waiting on him. Since everyone else (except Chouji, who was eating, and Shino, who was simply standing) was still arguing, Hinata made her way over to the gifts. As she'd hoped, they were all for her. There was an adorable plushie of Gaara from Temari (they were all the rage in Suna, since nobody but Temari ever got to hug him), a box of enormous cinnamon buns from Chouji (one was missing...), a book on basic healing jutsu from Sakura, a huge bouquet of flowers from Ino, and an odd little safe that looked exactly like a smiling toad from Naruto. Hinata also found a scroll from Kurenai with an extremely detailed training regimen that she was expected to start the very next day; a scroll from Ibiki with the names of the two genin she was going to team with for the chuunin exam, as well as their usual training area; and a final scroll from Hanabi, warning Hinata to keep her distance from the Hyuuga compound for the time being, and to always have either Akamaru or a jounin she trusted with her (surprisingly, Hanabi had also indicated that both Naruto and Sakura were acceptable substitutes).

"You need to be very careful, Hinata," Shino said quietly, suddenly right next to her. "Being in the village again only means you're safe from the hunter-nin. It falls to us to keep you safe from the villagers themselves."

Hinata knew he was referring more to her former clan than anyone else, but it still made her feel like the whole village was out for her blood. And though the thought frightened her, she knew Shino would rather have her paranoid and alert than relaxed and dead. "I'll keep my eyes open," she promised with a faint smile.

"Speaking of being alert..." Shino calmly picked up the Gaara plushie and threw it at Naruto's head.

"Hey, what... AH!" Naruto cried, ducking and covering just in time for the plushie to sail over his head and land neatly in Sakura's hands.

"Oh, grow up, Naruto," Sakura sighed.

"You wouldn't be so calm if it was the real Gaara flying at your head!"

Sakura paled a little at the very thought. "Well, OBVIOUSLY, but it clearly wasn't! Gaara isn't short and cuddly!"

"That we know of," Naruto corrected. "He could be using sand to make himself taller, and Temari had to learn cuddling from someone."

Ino threw up her hands in frustration as she finally spotted Hinata. "Just great! This has to be the worst surprise party in the history of parties! She's already gone through the presents, and half the food is gone, CHOUJI!"

"It was getting cold," Chouji replied defensively, his mouth half full.

"I really shouldn't eat too much, anyway," Hinata pointed out. "Kurenai-sensei isn't going to go easy on me tomorrow, or any other day, for that matter."

"And you!" Ino snapped, pointing forcefully at Hinata. "You know damn well you're supposed to be the wallflower! Who said you could turn into a wildflower while nobody was looking, huh?"

Hinata could only stare at her blankly, not sure how to answer the question.

"Doesn't matter, I suppose," Ino sighed, reaching out to lightly stroke Hinata's hair with a bright smile. "I think you look better as a wildflower, anyway."

"Um... thank you?" Hinata murmured softly, wanting to smile, but unable to tell if she was being complimented.

Naruto groaned. "Ino, don't you ever get tired of talking about flowers? Even Chouji stops talking about food long enough to eat it."

Ino just smirked. "One day, Naruto, you're going to be so in love you can't think straight, and then you'll beg me to teach you everything I know about flowers. And I won't do it. I'll just tell the poor girl what a mess you are, and let her decide if she wants to waste her time trying to clean you up."

"I happen to LIKE being a mess, for your information. Makes it easier to hang onto people when you're sticky."

"Ugh!"

"Look, it's working right now," Naruto laughed, wrapping his arms around Hinata and Ino. "You've all been trying to get away for years, but in the end, you always get dragged back."

"I'll give you one thing, Naruto," Ino said, making a face. "Your scent, at least, is consistent, but it would never sell in my shop. You're just lucky Hinata is too nice to say so."

"Hey, I don't smell!" he protested. After a short pause, he looked to Hinata hopefully. "Do I?"

"It's... not a bad smell," Hinata muttered, her cheeks red. "It's just... a Naruto smell."

"I fail to see the difference," Ino stated flatly.

Hinata ducked her head. "I don't mind it..."

"Don't you dare look smug, Naruto," Sakura added quickly. "Hinata's been sleeping beside a giant dog for ten years. She's the ONLY one outside of the Inuzuka who wouldn't mind your scent. You'd better marry her before her nose has a chance to go back to normal."

Instead of replying, Naruto just laughed as if it were the funniest thing he'd ever heard. Hinata was too flustered to ask Sakura if she'd been kidding, and didn't dare approach Ino for fear of what she'd say (and more precisely, who she might tell). Consequently, Hinata spent much of the night shooting nervous glances at Naruto. But unlike all the times she'd watched him when they were much younger, this time Naruto caught her eye several times, and even when she turned away, blushing furiously, she could feel his eyes lingering on her.

It wasn't that Hinata didn't enjoy the attention from Naruto. She'd always assumed that men would find her too plain, quiet, or weak when she was younger, and hadn't bothered to think about marriage seriously since then. After she'd left the village, human contact had been limited to the people she ambushed and stole from, and it wasn't until Temari had earned her trust that Hinata actually remembered how nice it was to be around people sometimes. And she'd always enjoyed simply being near Naruto, so actually having him focus on her was rather thrilling. But actually marrying him... well, it didn't seem bad exactly, it was just a really big step that they hadn't even talked about. Neither of them belonged to a clan, and while Temari and Kurenai might offer some support, Hinata didn't want to spend the rest of her life living on someone else's kindness. She was also fairly certain that Naruto would want a large family, having spent much of his life without one to call his own, but Hinata wanted a home of her own before that happened.

Besides, she had several other things to worry about now. If Naruto really intended to marry her, he'd have to wait until her life had calmed down some. That just gave her one more reason to pass the chuunin exam and get her life back.

* * *

Married life didn't seem to have changed Kurenai's attitude towards training. About the only difference Hinata could detect was that her sensei was even stricter, and apparently didn't feel at all guilty about dragging Konohamaru out of bed, too. He assured Hinata that he was used to it, but even that was said around a yawn.

They spent most of the morning outside reviewing genjitsu, which admittedly had always been Hinata's weakest area (but then, that had been true for Kiba and Shino as well). Konohamaru being half-asleep proved to be very good for practice, but once they were ready to move on, Kurenai hit him with one that made his eyes practically double in size.

"Hanabi in a bathhouse," Kurenai murmured in Hinata's ear. "Works every time."

Hinata frowned. "That seems cruel, Kurenai-sensei."

"I know. Hanabi suggested it to me. Keeps him interested, I suppose. Anyway, I have yet to hear a single complaint." Kurenai paused for a long moment. "Your sister is a remarkable young woman, Hinata. She has a way of... bending the world to her will. And I, for one, am exceedingly glad that you have a place in her world."

"So am I," Hinata murmured faintly, suddenly realizing what might have happened to the people who hadn't fit into Hanabi's world. Thankfully, such thoughts were pushed out of her mind when she looked up to see Temari walking towards her, leading an Akamaru that was much whiter than he'd been yesterday. Hinata had noticed that his coat had gotten a little duller during their stay in Suna, but had assumed it was just reacting to all the heat and sand, since no number of baths had helped. That Hana could have him looking this good overnight was just another advantage of being in Konoha again.

"Remind me to wear pants the next time I visit the Inuzuka," Temari said, brushing at her long, toned legs. "I swear they train those puppies to lick legs or something. I'd still be prying them off if Akamaru hadn't saved me."

Hinata had to look away to keep from laughing at the longing glance Akamaru gave Temari's legs before he walked over and poked his nose against Hinata's neck. "I missed you, too," she cooed, laying her head against his. "And don't worry, I haven't forgotten your belly rub. We'll get to it later today, I promise."

"That's probably a good idea," Temari added, "because I'm supposed to take you back to see the Hokage right now. Which reminds me, what happened at your meeting yesterday?"

"I never actually did get to meet the Hokage," Hinata sighed. "Morino-san said he was handling my case instead."

Kurenai and Temari traded amused glances.

"Okay, I think the joke's gone on long enough," Temari chuckled. "Hinata, I'm only telling you because the last time something like this was hidden from you, you didn't take it so well. Maybe they were doing it for security reasons at first, but there's no need for it now. There currently is no Hokage... or at least, there's no one person you could call that. Kakashi, Anko, and Ibiki are sharing the duties for now. How they still find time to play jokes like this on people is beyond me."

"Oh, that's one of the few things that Anko and Kakashi work hard at," Kurenai assured her, rolling her eyes. "They'd probably go crazy if they couldn't have fun. Well, crazier."

* * *

Hinata was still trying to wrap her mind around Kakashi, Anko, and Ibiki being the most powerful people in Konoha as she, Temari, and Akamaru entered the Hokage Tower. Ibiki, at least, she remembered as a no-nonsense commander, and could actually imagine him being chosen to lead the village. Kakashi was more friendly and easygoing, and the single impression Hinata had of Anko was of a female Kiba: loud and eager to fight, in other words.

Several of the guards gave them funny looks, more than Hinata had gotten yesterday, so she had to assume that dogs didn't exactly frequent the Tower. Still, after Hanabi's scroll yesterday, she felt much safer having Akamaru and a jounin she trusted accompanying her, and anyone who felt threatened by that probably didn't have good intentions toward her, anyway. She knew Kakashi wouldn't mind the dog's presence (if Anko was really like Kiba, she wouldn't, either).

The atmosphere inside the Hokage's office turned out to be a lot different than it had been yesterday, and the reason for this was, quite simply, the largest amount of dango Hinata had ever seen in one place. A great deal of it was piled high on a platter in the center of the desk, but there were several crates of the stuff scattered throughout the room. Anko and Naruto were seated side by side on the same crate, popping dango into their mouths at an alarming rate. Kakashi was standing over them with a stopwatch, and Tenten was watching them closely, clipboard in hand as she scribbled something down every few seconds. Ibiki and Neji seemed determined to pretend none of that was happening mere feet from them, and Sakura was looking on in a kind of fascinated horror.

Temari took one look and groaned. "Oh, crap. I forgot about the dango tourney. Hinata, you may want to look away. It's been proven that watching this for too long can actually ruin your appetite for a week, or cause blindness in the unprepared."

Hinata summed up her feelings in one word. "Why?"

"Bragging rights, mainly," Temari replied, shaking her head. "Naruto doesn't even particularly like the stuff. He's only doing it so he can say he defeated another Hokage at something."

"But you said-"

"I know, I know. They're still Hokages to Naruto, though. Just slightly smaller." Temari pointedly ignored the glare that Anko shot her. "Kakashi, can't you get them to take a break?"

"Nope," Kakashi answered without looking up. "They agreed. No breaks."

"Intermissions? Halftimes? Rest periods? Barf breaks?"

"I specifically remember they said no barf breaks."

"But that was probably just for them. What about the rest of us?"

"Fair enough." A few seconds later, Kakashi lowered the stopwatch, earning twin muffled protests from Anko and Naruto, who were still chewing madly. "Temari has a point. Besides, Hinata needs to get this issue resolved as soon as possible. You can always pick up where you left off when we're done."

Swallowing noisily, Anko motioned for Tenten to put the platter aside for the moment. "Alright, what have we got, Ibiki?" she asked, shoving a grinning Naruto off of the crate after he belched in her ear.

"Just as I figured, the Council of Elders met this morning and decided to be an annoyance yet again. Hinata needs three highly respectable parties to vouch for her before she will be allowed to participate in the chuunin exams." He produced an official-looking scroll and laid it out on his portion of the desk. "Once that's taken care of, she shouldn't have any problems for a while."

Ibiki had barely finished speaking when Neji stepped forward. "I have been authorized by Hyuuga Hanabi, future head of the Hyuuga Clan, to sign on her behalf."

Anko rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "Let me guess: those old skeletons in your clan are putting her to sleep with their boring lectures right now?"

Neji stared at her for a few seconds, apparently trying to decide if he should be loyal to his clan and therefore be offended, or be realistic and simply smirk. Finally, he grunted and said, "Something like that," before he signed the document and stepped back.

There was an awkward moment in which no one moved, and Hinata began to think she wasn't going to get the final two signatures. But that was when Temari stepped up, only to have Naruto slide the scroll out of her reach.

"He said highly respectable people, nee-chan," Naruto teased with a grin.

Temari scowled and punched him hard in the shoulder. "I'm signing for Gaara!" she growled, snatching the scroll away from Naruto and quickly signing it.

"Two down, one to go," Kakashi sighed, drooping visibly in his chair. "I wish I had a way to pass the time..."

"What happened to your little orange books?" Temari asked.

"Anko took them so I wouldn't be distracted during the dango tourney," he reported sadly.

Normally, Hinata might have found the exchange somewhat amusing (or at least embarrassing), but she was far too worried over where that last signature was going to come from. She was half-hoping that Kakashi would eventually say he was joking around and sign himself, since he was the only other highly respected person present that knew her well. But she also assumed that would defeat the purpose, since the "Hokage" was the one that had presented the document in the first place.

It was at that point that Hinata became aware of some very loud talking just outside the office doors. Either no one else heard the commotion, or they were all ignoring it, but both soon became impossible as the doors slammed open to admit the guard who came flying in and landed rather painfully on the edge of the desk. With a low groan, he slid limply to the floor and stayed there.

Naturally, Hinata had every reason to believe they were under attack, so when the tall, top-heavy blond woman stomped in with a furious look in her brown eyes, Akamaru had already tensed and prepared himself for anything, while Hinata seized a kunai beneath her coat.

It was only the surprised, delighted cries of "Shishou!" and "Baa-chan!" from Sakura and Naruto, respectively, that ended any thoughts of attacking for Hinata. Indeed, they both pushed past her in their haste to reach the older woman, who they immediately latched onto rather like children. And while the woman didn't seem quite as furious as she had been mere seconds before, she still looked annoyed, at least to the point where she smacked the back of Naruto's head quite roughly, in Hinata's opinion. Sakura, however, she favored with a warm smile.

Even stranger, this arrival was immediately followed by that of a second woman, who was the polar opposite of the first: she had dark hair, was considerably slimmer, and barely made a sound as she walked in. In addition, she instantly moved to Naruto and carefully fingered the growing knot on the back of his head, worrying over him in a sisterly way that Naruto outwardly shrugged off ("I'm fine, Shizune nee-chan, really!"), but inwardly probably deeply appreciated.

"Ah, it's always a pleasure to see you, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi greeted brightly as he stood up. "How long has it been since-"

"Am I interrupting something, Kakashi?" Tsunade asked in a tone that suggested she hoped that she really, really was.

"Well, as I'm sure you know, we were just in the process of collecting signatures so that Hinata will be able to take part in the chuunin exams." He paused there, clearly for effect. "Although I can't imagine why that might be of any interest to you. I'm fairly certain you two have never met, and we're essentially looking for character witnesses, people who can attest that Hinata is trustworthy enough to be held responsible for the lives of two young genin during the exams." Kakashi paused again, being sure to meet Hinata's eyes. "Then again, your signature certainly would help her case a great deal, what with you being a former Hokage and all..."

Suddenly, all of the reverent stares that Tsunade had been getting since she walked in, even from Neji and Ibiki, were starting to make sense to Hinata. She was literally standing in the presence of greatness and hadn't even realized it. Consequently, she felt doubly ashamed when Tsunade finally turned to look at her. The woman could have dispatched her without even batting an eye, was definitely Hinata's best chance of participating in the chuunin exam, and Hinata had very nearly attacked her.

After a long moment of staring at Hinata (as well as a quick but clearly impressed glance at Akamaru), Tsunade tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It's true that I don't know her," she admitted, "but I can learn all I need to by asking her to solve a simple word problem."

Hinata wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried. She was glad Tsunade didn't want to fight with her, at least, but she had no idea what sort of question she might be asked. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Sakura looked slightly anxious, and Naruto actually looked as if he were trying to figure out a way to help Hinata cheat her way into the right answer already. How she knew that from the blank look on his face, Hinata wasn't sure, but she also didn't think he would be much help. The bulk of her most recently gained knowledge had come from Kiba and Akamaru, and she was fairly certain Tsunade wasn't going to ask a question that they might have been able to answer easily.

Tsunade cleared her throat and began in a grave tone that let Hinata know just how serious this all was. "You are a young, lovely medic-nin, on your way home from working the afternoon shift at the local hospital. As you pass the bathhouse, you notice a man, upside down, tied to a post. His face is completely obscured by bruises, and he is bleeding from the head. Your training kicks in at once, and you decide to help the man as best you can. You have only four options to start with: treat the bruises, stop the bleeding, untie him, or check his pulse. What do you do first?"

Hinata simply stared at her, somewhat at a loss. Certainly she'd had to treat her own wounds many times, but she had never really found herself in such a position before. It was an awkward situation, to say the least... and now that she thought about it, maybe there was a good reason for that.

Bathhouses tended to be popular, so the idea of someone being so seriously hurt near one begged the question of why no one had seen him, and if they had, why hadn't they helped him?

"I would check his pulse," Hinata decided after several moments of thought. She figured the first thing to do was make sure the poor man was still among the living.

"You find his pulse surprisingly strong," Tsunade replied at once. "Too strong, in fact: it's racing. Knowing this, you further decide to either assist him, or simply walk away. What do you do now?"

That was even more puzzling. What could possibly make a medic-nin walk away from a patient after finding a strong pulse? Hinata turned this over in her head a few times, and then her eyes widened, even as a blush rose in her cheeks.

"I would walk away."

Naruto looked shocked, as did several others in the room. Sakura, however, was grinning.

"And why would you do such a thing?" Tsunade asked, a hint of a smile on her own lips.

"Because the man is obviously a pervert, and he deserves whatever fate he meets as a result of his perverted actions."

Tsunade threw back her head and laughed loudly, slapping Hinata across the back. "I don't know that I'd leave her in charge of any genin, but I'd take her on as a morally-minded medic-nin any day, and that's always been good enough for me." Accepting a pen from Shizune, Tsunade signed the scroll and slid it across the desk. With that, she turned and placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "I should warn you now, Hinata. I've been trying to get a Byakugan user in my ranks for years now, and I have no intention of letting your talents go to waist. The training won't be easy, but it could save your life, and hopefully, someone else's. Hanabi had potential, but she was better suited at handling lives on the front lines. We'll soon find out where your own talent lies."

"I'll do my best, Tsunade-sama," Hinata promised with a polite bow.

The blond woman smirked at her. "I should think you'd have to, since you'll be training almost nonstop in order to prepare yourself for the chuunin exams. You'll have fundamentals with Kurenai in the mornings, afternoons with your new teammates, and at night you'll be getting a crash course on how to be a proper medic-nin... or a mother thoroughly capable of patching up her overly mischievous brats, whichever you'd prefer. Sakura will help you there."

Sakura's face turned bright red. "I will?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Of course you will, since you've treated plenty of children."

"But they weren't MINE," Sakura insisted a bit desperately.

"And so you'll be more than capable when they finally ARE yours," Tsunade concluded firmly.

Sakura fell silent, torn between being pleased at Tsunade's high praise, and very much embarrassed since more than a few people were staring at her, as if she had kids popping out of her at that very moment.

"Don't let her reluctance fool you," Tsunade said to Hinata. "Sakura is one of the best medic-nin on my staff, and more than qualified to teach you. She's especially popular with children." The older woman lowered her voice a bit. "I think her hair reminds them of cotton candy."

At that point, Anko demanded that everyone who didn't have a part in the dango tourney leave immediately, and after a brief and very nearly violent shouting match with Tsunade, the office emptied rather quickly. Ibiki talked Tsunade into going with him to deliver the scroll in person, since it would have more impact on the Council. Temari was just about to take Hinata and Akamaru to meet their new teammates when Neji walked over to them.

"Hanabi would've been here if it were at all possible, Hinata," Neji said quietly. "She really is meeting with the clan elders... and I'm afraid they knew all too well what they were keeping her from."

Hinata shook her head. "It doesn't matter, Neji. It's enough that she sent you."

He frowned. "Her name on that scroll would've carried more weight. If Tsunade-sama hadn't shown up, I'd actually be worried about your chances. I'd hate to think that after all the trouble we went through to-"

Smiling faintly, Hinata reached up and placed a finger against his lips to silence him. "You've both done enough for me, and I'll always appreciate it. But I'm the one that has to start over, and that means doing things for myself. I'll never refuse your support, but I'm the only one who can prove that I deserve to be here. I never really had the clan's backing when I did belong to it, so it's no great loss to me now. I have friends who care about me, and I have you and Hanabi-chan to watch over me. It's enough. It's more than enough... more than I ever thought I would have."

It was only when Temari snickered that Hinata noticed Neji's cheeks had a trace of pink in them, and realizing the cause, she quickly pulled her finger away from his mouth.

"Not that isn't great to see you two getting along," Temari said, forcing herself not to laugh out loud, "but we really should get going."

Neji vanished before Hinata could say goodbye, and Temari instantly doubled over in laughter. "I can't believe you tamed him!" she gasped between breaths.

"What? I didn't!" Hinata protested, blushing slightly.

"Yeah you did! Had anyone but Tenten done that, he would've broken their finger off!"

"I didn't do anything! Neji just... he feels responsible for me now, that's all..."

"True," Temari agreed, "but that doesn't mean he has to let you get away with anything, and yet he does. He must have a really big soft spot for you. I never would've guessed he'd be happy to have you back. But then, I didn't think he even could be happy, until now."

Hinata didn't want to admit that Temari was right, but Neji had never felt more like a protective older brother than he had a moment ago. She couldn't help wondering if it had been the same for him, and if that was why he'd really run off so quickly.

* * *

Upon learning that the two genin she was to team up with were actually Shikamaru's students, Hinata wasn't sure what to think. It certainly seemed like he was just trying to get out of working, as usual, and Temari somewhat confirmed that suspicion when she admitted that he didn't spend much time with his students anymore. But according to her, this was because they were so far ahead of their peers, Shikamaru had simply run out of things that he was allowed to teach genin, and had largely left them to learn more on their own. Hinata didn't think that was a very effective way of teaching (or teaching at all, for that matter), but her first assumption proved to be quite wrong.

Her first clue came shortly after first laying eyes on the two nearly identical genin in the forest, who were, if her eyes were to be believed, practicing summoning jutsu.

"No, no, NO!" the black-haired bespectacled girl snapped as Temari, Hinata, and Akamaru approached. "Now you're not using enough chakra, Tatsuo! And look, you're getting woozy again! I told you it was time to take a break!"

"I can do it, Tomoko!" the slightly shorter boy growled. "Back off! I can't concentrate when you're yapping in my ear!"

"You can't concentrate because you've lost too much blood, stupid!"

"You've got four eyes, and you still can't see that you're driving me crazy? Just shut up for a minute!"

"Are they always like this?" Hinata murmured.

"Oh, no," Temari replied with a smirk. "Sometimes they fight."

Hinata was about to ask the difference when the boy suddenly picked up a rock and threw it at the girl. Normally, she would've thought that was a bit excessive, except he'd done it to block the incoming kunai the girl had launched at him first. In the next second, they were rolling all over the place, pummeling each other with their fists and whatever else happened to be in reach at the time.

Hinata glanced at Temari uncertainly. "Shouldn't we stop them?"

The Sand jounin shook her head. "I would, but I forgot my bucket of ice-cold water today. They'll get tired in a few minutes."

Sure enough, just five minutes later, both genin were sprawled out in the grass, too exhausted to do more than half-heartedly call each other names.

"Jerk."

"Nerd."

"Pig."

"Brain."

"Tatsuo, that's not really insulting."

"It would be if you knew enough to wanna be cool, Tomoko. And trust me, being a brain is not cool."

"Well, I guess you'd know, since you're definitely not a brain. Sometimes I doubt you even have a working one."

Temari cleared her throat loudly as she stepped into view.

"Oh! Temari nee-san!" Tomoko cried, scrambling to her feet. "We didn't see you there!" She bowed at once, her face red.

"Yeah, you were a little busy killing each other again," Temari sighed, shaking her head. "Now, that's perfectly healthy for siblings, but if you're going to do it as often as you two do, at least be aware of your surroundings. Otherwise you might end up being killed by someone you never even see."

"I knew you were there," Tatsuo insisted, glowering at Tomoko. "But even if I'd wanted to to tell her, she never listens to me, so it wouldn't have done any good."

"I do too listen!" Tomoko shouted, but it was clear from the embarrassed look on her face that Tatsuo's claim hadn't been entirely inaccurate.

Tatsuo snorted. "So then you also heard the other woman and her dog?"

Tomoko blinked, looked again, and flinched slightly when she finally noticed Hinata and Akamaru standing a few feet behind Temari. "Okay, I didn't hear them," she admitted sullenly.

"Don't feel bad, Hinata's always been pretty good at being overlooked," Temari replied, patting Tomoko's head. "Anyway, she's the temporary teammate you've been hearing about."

Tomoko's eyes widened in apparent joy, but Tatsuo scowled and kicked at the grass.

"Aren't you a little old for a genin?" he demanded. "How many times did you fail the exam, anyway?"

Hinata narrowed her eyes slightly. "I've met much older genin, and I only took the exam once. Although when I did, I had much better manners."

Tomoko grinned at her, but Tatsuo was still unimpressed.

"I don't have any reason to respect you. We're both genin, in case you forgot, and even if I am younger, at least I never failed!"

"That last part may be true," Hinata said with a smile, "but I think you have a very good reason to respect me, and his name is Akamaru."

Tatsuo opened his mouth to reply, but swallowed his words as Akamaru took a step forward, baring his teeth and growling softly.

"I think it would be much easier if we all worked together," Hinata pointed out. "We all want to become chuunin, don't we? I'll help you if you help me." She offered a hopeful smile, as well as her hand, to Tatsuo. "Truce?"

He stared at her hand, his eyes shifting briefly to Akamaru. "Fine," Tatsuo grumbled at last, giving her hand a quick shake before dropping it. "But you better not get in our way!"

"Of course not," Hinata replied at once. "In fact, I'll be sitting over here, out of the way, getting to know your sister, while you work on whatever you were doing before we arrived."

"Oh, but Tatsuo can't-" Tomoko began to say.

"I'm sure your brother can keep himself occupied while we talk." Hinata said this not only because she really did want to talk, but because she'd seen the look in Tatsuo's eyes when his sister began to imply (again) that he would make a mistake without her guidance.

"Well... okay," Tomoko agreed, glancing back at her brother once more before following Hinata over to a nearby tree.

"You two fight all the time, don't you?" Hinata said quietly.

Tomoko nodded. "Yeah, but only because he doesn't like it when I'm right and he's not, which happens pretty much all of the time."

"So why is it that you don't think he can do the jutsu on his own?"

"He's been trying it all week, and he still hasn't gotten it. Besides, he didn't even have enough chakra in his last attempt, so there's no way he could-"

"I DID IT!" Tatsuo suddenly shouted.

Tomoko spun around, her mouth dropping open in shock as her brother ran up to them, pointing excitedly at the blue and white creature sitting on his head. It looked somewhat like a small lizard, except it was just shy of chubby and seemed rather harmless.

"Um..." Tomoko said after a long moment. "What is it?"

"He's a dragon!" Tatsuo replied proudly.

"Are you sure?" she asked at once.

He glared at her. "Of course I'm sure! I signed a contract with the dragons, just like you did with your dumb birds!"

"At least my summons are recognizable as birds," Tomoko murmured.

Tatsuo's eyes narrowed. "You're just mad because I did it without your help! See what I can do when you're not shoving your stupid advice down my throat?"

"If you had actually taken my advice when we started, you'd probably be able to call on a real dragon by now. Do you really think Keiji-kun would be impressed if you showed him that little thing?"

Hinata suspected that wasn't the right thing to say, and she only became more convinced when she sensed a sharp rise in Tatsuo's chakra. Before she could do anything about it, Temari caught her eye and shook her head slightly.

It was difficult to describe what happened next, partially because it happened so quickly, but mostly because Hinata wasn't sure if she could believe what her memory told her later on.

Tatsuo's eyes, which had been black from the moment she met him, suddenly turned red, which, not so coincidentally, was the same color as his little dragon's eyes.

Even stranger, a tiny pair of blue, scaly wings unfolded from the dragon's back, and though they only flapped once, Tomoko was suddenly slammed against the tree hard enough to knock the wind out of her. Combined with the cold glare her brother was giving her, this left Tomoko unable to do anything when a dragon's head composed entirely of flames flew straight at her.

Hinata nearly cried out when Tomoko vanished in the explosion of flames, but instead let out a sigh of relief when she saw that the girl had been replaced with a log at the last possible second. Tomoko reappeared seconds later, now with a small eagle perched on her shoulder. From the stunned expression still on the girl's face, it was pretty obvious that the eagle had been the one to save her.

"Impressed now, Tomoko?" Tatsuo asked coldly as his eyes reverted to black again. "Don't you ever insult the power of a dragon again!" With that, he turned and ran off, the little dragon on his head hissing at Tomoko all the while.

Only after her brother was gone did Tomoko sink to the ground, the color draining out of her face. "I've never seen him so angry before..." she whispered.

"You know better than to insult a summoned creature, Tomoko," Temari sighed. "What did you think was going to happen when your hothead brother summoned a dragon just like him?"

"He shouldn't have had enough chakra left for a summon! And I know he doesn't know that fire jutsu..."

"You told me the day I met you that summons work differently in your clan. That they can manipulate your chakra and make it their own. As for how he pulled off the summon in the first place, you can thank Hinata's handshake."

"What?" Tomoko blinked and turned to look at Hinata. "What does she mean?"

"I'm sorry," Hinata apologized, bowing her head. "I just saw how badly he wanted to succeed, and I thought it wouldn't hurt to give him a little help. So I widened the chakra channels in his hand when I touched him. If I'd known he was going to attack you like that..."

Tomoko looked more confused than she did angry. "But why did you help him?"

"Because I know how it feels, to always have someone say you can't do something. Even if it's not true at first, after a while, you could start to believe it, and then you would allow it to be true. I didn't want that to happen to your brother."

The girl's face fell. "I never said he couldn't do it! He was just tired, and I wanted him to rest before he tried again!"

"But you said that in a way that hurt his pride, as well as his pride in his latest accomplishment. You can't be surprised that he got angry."

Tomoko turned away stubbornly. "I have to be tough on him, or he'll never be stronger than me. I know he will be, one day, but only if he gets into the habit of always working hard now."

Hinata smiled. "That's fine, but do you ever stop to compliment him when he gets something right? Even if it's just a smile or a pat on the back?"

"I've never done those things. It'd be weird if I did them now. Tatsuo would just think I was playing a trick on him."

"Then I'll try talking to him, while you think of what you want to say the next time you see him. Where would he go?"

"To visit Keiji-kun, in the hospital," Tomoko replied at once. "Tatsuo will want to show off his dragon, and Keiji-kun is his best friend." She hesitated, suddenly becoming shy. "Thank you, Hinata-san. And please, don't blame Tatsuo for what he did today. I wasn't in any real danger. Our summons protect us when we're unable to protect ourselves. My brother was just... letting off some steam. He'd never really-"

"I understand, Tomoko," Hinata assured her with a smile. "I have a brother myself, and it's only recently that we've really gotten along. Tatsuo just needs to know that his sister respects him."

"You really think you can talk him into coming back, Hinata-san?"

"I do, and please, I insist that you treat me the same way you would any other genin."

Tomoko could only stare up at her in shock. "But I couldn't do that! It'd be like... yelling at Temari nee-san!"

"But your brother was right: we are all genin. I've been one a bit longer, but we'll all have to take the same exams, and as part of the same team. I wouldn't want to cause any other problems for you. Just think of me as a slightly older teammate."

"No other genin I know has a dog bigger than me," Tomoko murmured nervously, glancing at Akamaru.

"Oh, he's really very nice most of the time," Hinata replied at once.

"Most of the time?" Tomoko asked weakly.

"Well, he is a ninja hound. He does much more than just keep me company. But he likes attention just as much as any other dog."

"So... could I pet him?"

Hinata simply looked at Akamaru, who walked over to Tomoko and licked her cheek a few times before laying down in the grass. "Why don't you spend some time getting used to him?" Hinata suggested as Tomoko carefully ran her hands through Akamaru's white fur, a look of wonder on her face. "He knows Temari, so he should be fine without me for a while."

"But you won't be fine on your own without him," Temari said, pulling out a kunai with a tangled knot of golden hair tied around the handle. "Good thing I did remember to pack this today." She spun the kunai around her finger a couple of times before almost absently planting it in the ground.

Almost immediately, a column of white smoke burst from the ground, and Naruto emerged from it seconds later, handing the kunai back to Temari. "You needed something, nee-chan?" he asked with an easy grin.

"Hinata needs an escort to the hospital, and I'm busy," she replied simply. "You weren't doing anything too important, were you?"

"Uh... no. But if Shikamaru asks, you haven't seen me, and I didn't duck out of our game because he was winning again." Naruto turned, nodding at Tomoko and kneeling to briefly rub Akamaru's head, before he finally stood and offered Hinata his arm. "You're not hurt or anything, are you?" he asked in a low voice.

"No," Hinata answered with a smile, wrapping her arm around his. "One of my new teammates is there, visiting his friend. I'm just going to talk to him."

"Tatsuo, right?" Naruto said as he led her away. "I've heard of him from Shikamaru. He's supposed to be even more stubborn than I was at his age. What do you think, Hinata?"

Hinata hesitated in answering him. "Ah... well, you had a good reason to be stubborn, Naruto-kun. But I haven't known Tatsuo long enough to know if he has one, too. I hope to find that out today."

"He can't be all bad, if he'd visit a sick friend," Naruto reasoned. "I've had friends who wouldn't even do that much."

"They don't sound like very good friends, then, unless you were contagious?" Hinata ventured hesitantly.

He shrugged, scratching at his cheek. "I don't know. I've always healed fast, so they probably just weren't worried. It was still nice when people bothered anyway, knowing that about me. Sakura-chan always stopped by, and Kakashi-sensei would at least send notes telling me to stop milking it and get back to work." He paused and blinked, as if he'd just remembered something. "Oh, and nee-chan would always walk me home when I got released. I think she was more worried about me trying to sneak out before I was all better."

The affectionate mention of Temari reminded Hinata of something that had puzzled her. "Naruto-kun," she murmured softly, "how did Temari use that kunai to call you? Was it... a summoning?"

Naruto grinned proudly. "It's something I picked up along the way, and it's sort of like a summoning, but not really. It's just a way for me to be there right away, if someone should need me. I'd tell you how it works, but there's a really long story behind it, and I'd probably have to keep stopping to explain a bunch of things you missed out on."

Hinata didn't doubt that was true... and yet, for some reason, she got the feeling that Naruto had just purposely avoided directly answering her question. "You... give those... special kunai... to your precious people, then?" she whispered haltingly.

He nodded, apparently not seeing where she was headed with her line of questioning. "I guess you could say that."

"So... Sakura has one, too?"

"Yeah..." His blue eyes slid toward her, taking in her face for a long moment. "Why do you ask?"

"It must be really nice for them," Hinata said, lowering her head. "Being able to call on you anytime like that. You'd always be there when they needed you... for anything at all..."

"It's really only supposed to be for emergencies," Naruto explained. "But now that you mention it, nee-chan has been abusing it quite a bit. Maybe I need to put a limit on-"

"I want one!" Hinata blurted out. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, her face glowing red.

He stared at her in obvious surprise. "You do?"

She slowly lowered her hands. "I-It's just... Gaara said... I was precious to you, so... I thought... I hoped..."

Naruto seemed to be considering it, but he didn't look especially convinced. "I guess it wouldn't hurt, but you've almost always got Akamaru with you, so I figured you wouldn't even want one."

"But...!" Hinata took a deep breath, trying to order her thoughts. "Naruto-kun... I-I don't just want one... I need one!"

"What are you talking about, Hinata?"

"Sakura and Temari are safe here. But I'm not, and it scares me. I can't go anywhere without someone watching over me, and... I'd really like for that someone to be you. I know you'd never let anything happen to me, because I know how far you'll go protect... the people you love..." Hinata bit her lip and stepped closer to him. "So, please... if I really am important to you... like Sakura and Temari keep telling me, then... promise me you'll be there, if I need your help."

The look on Naruto's face bothered her a great deal. She could see that part of him wanted to protect her, even more than she wanted him to. But the other part was holding back, almost as if he wanted to see how long she'd survive without him. Finally, he sighed and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"You are precious to me, Hinata," Naruto muttered. "But these kunai... they represent much more than that. There are things I need to tell you... things I should have told you the night you left. I wanted to go after you, but, well... after that kiss, my brain didn't really recover until the next day. The point is, I can't give you a kunai until you understand some things about me. And after everything that's happened, I don't think you'll be ready to hear it all until after you pass the chuunin exams."

"But what if I don't-"

"You will," he said confidently. "I know you will."

There was an uneasy silence that seemed to stretch on forever, until Naruto extended his hand, a silent question in his eyes. He was asking her to trust in him, to believe in his decision, but Hinata honestly didn't want to. She didn't want to accept this at all. She knew it was selfish, but the idea that someone else might be closer to Naruto than her made her unhappy and nervous. Of course she trusted him, but she didn't want to be second in his heart. It was times like this when she envied Akamaru, who could make up his mind about people inside of a minute. Certainly he changed his mind now and then, but even in those times, he almost never hesitated. He didn't need to think things over, because he saw things on such an instinctive level.

He'd changed his mind about Naruto, hadn't he? Hinata could still remember when Akamaru would've growled at Naruto on sight. Even when Hinata had begun taking care of the dog, he'd still been a little uneasy around the blond. It wasn't until they'd encountered him again in Suna that Akamaru had actually accepted Naruto as a fixture in Hinata's life. She had been so pleased at the time, she'd never bothered to ask Akamaru why he'd changed his mind. What was it about Naruto now that Akamaru sensed he could trust? Hinata had a feeling that if she knew that, she'd never doubt Naruto again.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the warm sensation of Naruto's fingers interlacing with her own. Hinata realized with a start that she'd reached out and taken his hand without even knowing it. But she couldn't take it back now, not with the way Naruto was beaming at her. Seeing a genuine Naruto smile had once been a rare thing, and she never wanted to do anything that might make them less frequent.

That, and Hinata suspected she would've taken his hand eventually, anyway.

* * *

Tatsuo turned out to be a very easy find once Hinata and Naruto stepped into the hospital. She had just been about to approach the reception desk when she spotted Tatsuo sitting on the floor along the far wall, hugging his knees to his chest, and staring straight ahead, his eyes red from crying. His little dragon was still perched on his head, and it was stroking his cheek with its tail in an attempt to soothe him.

"Oh no," Hinata whispered, fearing the worst. "Naruto-kun, I think-"

"You talk to him," Naruto interrupted, squeezing her shoulder. "I'll be right here if you need me."

She nodded, barely even hearing his words as she walked over to Tatsuo and sat down beside him. The dragon gave her a brief, wary look, but seemed to recognize her and relaxed somewhat.

"Keiji's gone," Tatsuo reported dully.

"I'm so sorry," Hinata said quietly. "I lost my best friend when I was your age, too."

He blinked and glanced at her. "How?"

"The chuunin exams," she replied simply. "I wasn't ready, and he gave his life to protect me."

Tatsuo's eyes widened. "You mean... he's dead?"

Hinata nodded, unsure of why he sounded so surprised. "Yes... so I have some idea of how you feel."

"What?" Tatsuo asked blankly. "But... Kieji isn't dead. Not really, but..." He sighed heavily. "He's gone. His parents decided they didn't want him to be a ninja anymore, so... they're leaving the village today."

"Oh," Hinata said, feeling a little silly. "How did he get hurt?"

"Keiji was the first one of us to summon anything. He's a genius, you know. But he never knew when to stop. He wanted to have the most powerful summon in Konoha, so he kept calling on bigger and better bugs, until he finally used up all of his chakra on the biggest one. They put him on bedrest, and he was fine mostly, but he just kept summoning bugs. His parents were scared, because Keiji's older brother was a ninja, and he died right after he made chuunin. They wanted to stop Keiji before he got that far." Tatsuo swallowed hard and shook his head. "It's just such a waste. He's a great ninja, and now... he'll never be anything like what he wanted. And even if we work our butts off to pass the exam, he won't be here to see us do it. It's not fair!"

"I don't think our situations are so different," Hinata said at last. "We each had a friend who laid down his dream. The only difference is that yours had no choice in the matter."

"So... what did you do?" Tatsuo asked slowly.

"I picked up his dream, and tried to make it my own the best I could. That's how I got Akamaru. I promised to take care of him, for my friend." Hinata gently placed her hand on Tatsuo's knee. "I think you should pick up Keiji's dream. Get stronger, for him, for your sister, and for yourself. It's a way of honoring the sacrifices he made, even if doesn't know you are."

Tatsuo considered that for several moments. Finally, he gave her an appraising look and decided, "You know, you're the first girl I've talked to that makes any sense at all. So I guess you're okay."

Hinata almost made a point of informing Tatsuo that he should be more polite to females, but decided it was simpler to just thank him for the compliment and invite him to lunch with her and Naruto.

* * *

That night, inside her room in the Sarutobi compound, Hinata had her first lesson with Sakura, and it was nothing like Hinata had been expecting. Sakura spent most of the time reiterating how important precise chakra control was, then had Hinata open and close the chakra channels in her arm to get an idea of how skilled she was. Hinata was a little hesitant at first, but Sakura kept insisting that she didn't mind the discomfort at all.

After that, much to Hinata's surprise, Sakura simply made small talk while waiting for the stiffness in her arm to fade. From the way Tsunade had talked about these lessons, Hinata had expected them to be much more difficult, but it was possible that Sakura was trying to ease her into medic-nin training so it wouldn't seem so overwhelming.

"I don't think any of this should be too challenging for you, Hinata," Sakura said as she packed up the few scrolls she'd brought along. "You seem to have a pretty good grasp on... the, um..."

"The techniques of my former clan?" Hinata offered, far more easily than she once would have.

"Yeah. That," Sakura replied uncomfortably. "Anyway, I'll start you on the real stuff tomorrow night. But I should warn you, some of this might be made easier if I brought in a Hyuuga that's had some experience in healing. Hanabi and Neji are the only ones I know of that might be willing, but if you'd rather just stick with the one-on-one sessions, that's fine, too. Just something to think about before we get too involved."

Hinata nodded slowly, but her mind was already drifting to another matter. "Sakura... has Naruto-kun... has he been seeing someone?"

Sakura paused, turning to stare at Hinata curiously. "You mean, like dating? Not that I know of, and he tells me nearly everything. And if he didn't tell me, the only other person who would know for sure is Temari. Why?"

"We were talking today," Hinata murmured, "and... I got the feeling he doesn't trust me. Not completely, anyway. And I just wondered if that was why."

With a sigh, Sakura ran a hand through her pink hair. "Look, Hinata. Naruto... you know he's not like most people we know. He had a hard childhood, and so no matter how much he smiles, he's a very guarded person. It's not that he doesn't want to let you in, it's that he has to be careful about who he lets get close to him. Everyone has their secrets, and Naruto's are bigger than most. It's not his fault, but it is his responsibility, and he takes it seriously. If it seems like he's pushing you away, he's only trying to protect you. Some people just can't handle the darker truths, and Naruto has already suffered through too many betrayals."

Hinata frowned. "But... you know his secrets, and so does Temari, and neither of you have turned on him."

"That's true, but it was different for us. Temari knew his secrets before she got close to him, so she was able to make an informed decision. I found out afterwards, and by then I was too close to just walk away. But you're in an even worse position, because you're in love with Naruto, and he very likely feels the same for you." She smirked as Hinata turned bright red. "Don't try to deny it, I can see it when you're together. Just make sure that Naruto is your One True before you try to take this any farther. Otherwise, you'll end up regretting and resenting, and I think you've both had enough of that."

**End of Part 7A.**


	8. Foxes and Hounds, Part 2

After that first day, the two weeks until the chuunin exams seemed to fly by. Kurenai's training never got any easier, but didn't seem quite as bad with Konohamaru suffering through it as well. And while Kurenai never confirmed or denied it, Hinata got the distinct impression that Hanabi had instructed Konohamaru to assist her in any way he could. Her suspicions were pretty much confirmed when Hanabi's other teammate, Nara Kouji, suddenly and with no explanation at all, began shadowing Hinata as she moved about the village. Oddly enough, he was more concerned with concealing his presence from anyone else who might be following Hinata, as he'd gone to the trouble of introducing himself the first time she'd sniffed him out. At first it was a little disturbing to constantly smell traces of bandages and medicine everywhere she went, but Naruto assured her that Kouji was "a little weird, but an okay guy."

Shikamaru was almost never present when Hinata showed up to train with Tomoko and Tatsuo, and even when he was, all he did was take naps and stare at the clouds. Temari went from watching the sessions to overseeing them out of sheer frustration, and Hinata thought that had been Shikamaru's plan all along. Naruto would always come by to take Hinata to lunch, but often got roped into taking over the lessons whenever Temari grew weary of teaching. Tatsuo especially enjoyed Naruto's lessons, since most of them included breaking, burning, or blowing something up, and Tatsuo's dragons excelled at all three. Tomoko began joining Hinata and Naruto for their lunch outings, and fell into the habit of affectionately addressing Hinata as "Hinata nee-chan." Tatsuo just grunted and said she was being girly, so everyone pretended not to notice when he "accidentally" dropped food around Akamaru.

Strangely, the nightly sessions with Sakura never seemed to increase in difficulty all that much, and Hinata finally figured out that either she was a naturally gifted medic-nin, or Sakura was somehow simplifying the lessons. But Hinata chose to believe that Sakura had good reason for teaching that way, and never brought it up. At any rate, between the book Sakura had given her and the lessons, Hinata was learning quite a bit, so she saw no reason to complain.

Unfortunately, Hinata stayed so busy that she had almost no time to spend with Neji, who she occasionally ran into around lunchtime, or Hanabi, who she hadn't seen at all since they returned to the village. Still, it seemed everywhere Hinata went, she overheard people discussing Hanabi's activities as if she were some sort of celebrity. Certainly she'd expected that Hanabi had gained some fame in the village over the years, but it was still very unsettling to hear about Hanabi's sudden retirement from ANBU out of the mouths of total strangers. Hinata couldn't help but feel that she'd impacted Hanabi's decision somehow, but Neji always abruptly changed the subject if she tried to find out more from him.

* * *

The chuunin exam turned out to be just as easy as Ibiki had predicted... for Hinata, anyway.

Over half of the word problems on the written exam Hinata had actually done during her time in the field, so she didn't even need to cheat. Nor did she need to help Tatsuo and Tomoko, as they set up a system that involved reflecting sunlight off of Tomoko's glasses.

Strangely, there were ten actual written questions this time around, with no overriding final all or nothing catch at the end. The test was even scored differently, with half the points coming from total correct answers, and the other half being awarded to anyone who lasted the whole test without being caught cheating three times. Hinata's team ended up with one of the highest total scores, which pleased Tomoko to no end. Tatsuo was afraid he was turning into "a total nerd" like his sister, which earned him a good swat to the head.

Hinata had been very worried about the second stage of the exam, because once again, it was held in the Forest of Death. Even worse, the forest had been mostly overtaken by a particularly vicious breed of what most of the genin came to call "rabbit wolverines." Despite being the size of small bears, they moved like lightning, and a single swipe of their powerful claws put many teams out of commission. Tatsuo was finally openly glad to have Akamaru around, because he turned out to be the only thing in the forest that the wolverines were afraid of.

In the end, a mere three teams emerged from the forest intact, and of that number, one genin immediately bowed out due to a wolverine bite.

By that time, Hinata had promised herself that she would not use Akamaru in the final stage. She'd had a huge advantage over everyone else in the exam, and she firmly believed that Kurenai's training, along with everything else that she'd learned, was more than enough to get her through the final stage.

There was nothing in the rules that said she had to inform anyone of that decision, however, and the mere fact that Akamaru was watching from the sidelines intimidated her first two opponents so much that they ultimately failed to focus on her during the matches. They kept expecting him to join in, and wasted most of their talents trying to keep an eye on him. And even though Tatsuo knew of her decision, when they faced off in the finals, he told her up front that he wouldn't rely on his summons. Hinata almost wished he had, though: Tatsuo's best area was taijutsu, which resulted in plenty of chances for her to seal off his chakra channels. She ended up having to knock him out, because he wouldn't stay down or give up.

Hinata was shocked to find out that the judges awarded her the rank of chuunin, not because she defeated all three of her opponents, but because of how much she'd obviously held back while doing so. They apparently saw it as a wise conservation of her strength, although Hinata had just been concerned that she might seriously hurt someone needlessly.

She'd been so focused on her opponents that she didn't take the time to observe the audience until after the matches ended. So it came as a big surprise when she noticed that Shino, instead of sitting with Kurenai or his family, was seated right next to Hanabi. That they would allow themselves to be seen together in such a highly public place was shocking to say the least, considering the many different assumptions one could make from the sight. Hinata herself wasn't quite sure what to make of it, since Konohamaru had given no sign that he and Hanabi weren't still seeing each other, and Shino would have at least told her if he'd started spending time with Hanabi in anything other than a work-related setting (besides, Neji was on Hanabi's left, and not even being in broad daylight and surrounded by witnesses could've saved Shino if Neji thought that Hanabi's virtue was in danger).

But that, as it turned out, would be the least of Hinata's worries by the end of the day.

* * *

Naruto had said he was taking Hinata someplace that was close to his heart. In the end, she could only imagine a new ramen stand. So she had been rather confused when he led her into the clan district, and even more stumped when he stopped in front of the one compound Hinata had never even thought about entering.

"Is this the place you had in mind, Naruto-kun?" she asked quietly, staring at the deserted Uchiha compound.

He nodded, his voice strangely distant as he spoke. "I used to come here all the time, right after Sasuke left. I thought being here might help me figure out something about him that I didn't already know. But it never did, so I stopped coming, for a while."

"Then why come here now?"

"I know what this place meant for Sasuke. For me, it's a place where your deepest, darkest secrets come to die." Naruto paused, reaching out to squeeze her hand tightly. "I don't want there to be secrets between us, Hinata. At least, not this one. Not anymore."

"Does... it have to be here?" Hinata murmured, trembling a bit. "I don't like the way this place feels, Naruto-kun..." There was a certain staleness to the air that Hinata's nose couldn't quite identify, and she had no desire to discover what the source might be.

Naruto didn't answer her at first, and Hinata started to repeat her question when he finally opened his mouth.

"This is the place where the Sasuke I used to know was born, on the day that he lost his entire clan. The only reason I was ever brave enough to come here was because... I also knew how it felt to be alone in the world." Naruto slowly turned to face her. "If there are any bad spirits here, Hinata, they wouldn't hurt us. They never bothered me, and I don't think they'd harm you, either." He said it with such certainty in his voice, and Hinata could not convince herself that he might be wrong. So when Naruto began to lead her into the deserted compound, she offered no resistance.

Just as he'd stated, Naruto had no trouble navigating his way through the Uchiha compound. Most of the homes and roads looked exactly alike to Hinata, and she realized this was probably done purposely to confuse intruders. They'd only been walking for about ten minutes when the path opened up into a wide area that was covered in what looked like grayish soil.

"What is this place, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.

"I'm not really sure. I only know it's where Sasuke came to burn all of the things his brother left behind. But I'd bet anything the rest of the clan used this area for similar purposes, because the ground always looks like this." Taking a deep breath, Naruto cupped a hand to his mouth and blew out a small spout of fire. Although the soil immediately caught fire, it did not actually burn at all, nor did the flames spread noticeably. "I still can't figure out what this stuff is, but it's great for practicing fire jutsu, or if you just need to keep warm. I'm just going to use it for... illustrations."

Hinata wanted to ask what he meant, but before she could, Naruto bent down and passed his hand directly through the fire. Not only did it not seem to harm him in the least, but when Naruto brought his hand up, he was actually holding some of the fire in his palm.

"There's not a big difference between chakra and fire, you know," Naruto said quietly. "They're both useful, if you know what to do with them. And, if you have enough..." The flames in his hand suddenly doubled in size and intensity, before vanishing as Naruto snapped his hand shut. "You can do just about anything. But I'm sure I don't have to tell that to someone of your background, Hinata."

Hinata made do with a small nod, eager to see where this was going.

"There's a limit to how much chakra a normal human can produce and control on their own. But even when you reach that limit, there are still shinobi that are stronger. There ways for us to gain more power, internally and externally. You must have seen some by now."

"You mean... summoning?" Hinata asked.

"That's one way," Naruto replied. "A very good example, in fact. Animals are closer to nature and its secrets. It's not really surprising that we call on them to aid us in battle. But just as there are humans who become insanely powerful, there are animals who do the same. And then... there are creatures who merely start off with such great power, and only get stronger and smarter as time passes."

Some of the color drained from Hinata's face. She had a pretty good idea of which creature Naruto was referring to, and somehow she knew that the discussion would only get worse before it got any better.

Naruto kept talking as if he hadn't heard her. "Humans fear what they don't understand. And how could humans possibly hope to understand a power that they couldn't control for themselves? Though, it doesn't help matters when that power wants nothing more than the complete and utter destruction of anything it sees as useless. No shinobi could ever hope to defeat something so powerful. Not for good. Not even if he sacrificed everything he had. At best, the only thing you could do... was contain it."

Hinata didn't like the emotionless quality Naruto's voice now possessed, or the way he was no longer meeting her eyes. Without thinking, she reached out and touched his arm, only to have Naruto immediately jerk away from her. Her eyes widened in confusion and hurt as Naruto sat down on the ground, taking deep, cleansing breaths.

"Imagine it for a moment, Hinata. You grow up hearing nothing but how a hero gave his life to stop a demon from destroying your village. Then you find out that to do so, he had to seal the demon inside a newborn baby, who had no choice in the matter. How are you supposed to react to a child that has a demon inside of him? Do you know?"

"The same way you would any other child," Hinata answered slowly. "You treat them with love. I don't believe that anyone who has experienced real love could ever become a true monster. Any child that's treated like a monster can become one, whether they have a demon inside them or not."

"You really believe that?" he asked.

She nodded. "You remember how Neji was right before I left Konoha. He was so full of rage and frustration. But I've actually seen him smile, without malice, in the past few days."

Naruto lowered his head. "So... if you'd known the child with the demon inside of him, you wouldn't have treated him any differently than you did anyone else?"

"Naruto-kun, when you're as painfully shy as I was at that age, approaching anyone was frightening. I only had a few friends because of that. So anyone that didn't ask for my name first, I probably never had the courage to speak to. I suppose that might have prevented me from ever meeting that child."

"What do you think he's like now?"

Hinata almost didn't hear the question, since Naruto asked it so quietly and was still looking away from her.

"I think he must be lonely sometimes," Hinata answered, wondering briefly why they were assuming the child was male. "There are bound to be people who wouldn't understand, and people who would be afraid of him, whether they had good reason or not. And I think... he must be angry and sad, too. He probably gets treated in a way that has nothing to do with who he as a person is. I think people would react more to the demon inside him before they even allowed themselves a chance to know the boy. He might even hate people more than he does the demon. People can be so very cruel when they believe they're doing the right thing..."

Hinata stopped talking, realizing she was thinking more about the late Hiashi than she was the unfortunate child.

"You don't think he's happy?" Naruto asked after a long moment.

"Happy?" Hinata frowned slightly. "I would wish him happiness, but I doubt that would be enough. He must have a very hard life, and it can be hard to find happiness if you rarely ever experience it. And, well... could he ever really be happy for long, knowing how quickly it could be taken away by some thoughtless person? I think..." She paused, and smiled slightly. "I think he might be a little like Kiba-kun."

There was a brief pause, and then Naruto turned to stare at her uncertainly. "Kiba? What makes you think that?"

"Did you know that Kiba never told me when something was bothering him, or when he was upset about something? I think now he was trying to protect me, or maybe he thought my own troubles were worse than his. If he was in a bad mood, he would either complain to Shino-kun, or he wouldn't say anything at all. When he did speak to me, I could tell that I always had his full attention, even if he wasn't looking at me. He was always very serious about protecting people who were important to him. I sometimes think that if I had known that about him, before... he might still be here. But if he were, then I wouldn't have Akamaru..." She bit her lip worriedly. "That's really selfish of me, isn't it?"

Naruto sighed. "No, I'm Kyuubi's vessel, Akamaru's a good dog," he replied in a rush.

Hinata blinked slowly. "What?"

He groaned and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I didn't think that would work." Naruto dragged his fingers through the gray soil, doing his best to avoid looking at Hinata. "I'm the child that Kyuubi was sealed inside of, Hinata. That's why over half the people in the village wouldn't mind if I turned up dead, because it would mean that Kyuubi was dead, too. Although, it's pretty hard for me to die, because even though he's stuck inside my body, he's in no hurry to stop existing."

Hinata couldn't help it, she stared at Naruto as if he'd grown a second head. And after what she'd just heard, she honestly thought that particular sight would've been easier to handle.

"But... how is that possible?" she whispered. "You're not... you've never..."

"Acted like a demon around you?" Naruto offered with a slight smile.

She blushed. "I just meant you were always nice to me, so I never... would've thought that you might be..."

"Believe me, me and him didn't always get along so well. In fact, we pretty much hated each other for years. Even now, he won't admit to liking me at all, but we get along enough to co-exist."

"You... talk to each other?"

"Yeah, it's kind of like having an imaginary friend, except he's real, in my body, and not really my friend. And, um, he knows a million different ways to kill things, but I'd rather not get into that."

Hinata smiled hesitantly. "You don't seem... afraid of him at all."

"I used to be terrified," Naruto admitted. "People only talked about how evil he was, and the first time he actually spoke to me, all I could see was eyes and teeth and claws, so that was pretty freaky. But once I realized that he couldn't really do anything that my mind and body didn't invite him to do, I started looking at the situation more realistically. I figured since we were stuck with each other, we might as well try to make it work so it's easier on both of us. I do some things for him, he helps me out when I need him. It's like a partnership."

"What... sort of things do you do for him?" Hinata asked hesitantly.

"Mostly it's small things that help me indirectly, anyway," Naruto answered. "Food preference, extra hours training, going for runs at night. Things he misses doing in his own body. Sometimes I feel guilty, because he didn't have a choice in this, either. Granted, he was an unstoppable killing machine, but I know how it feels to have someone butt into your life without asking and mess it up. And my life is much easier when we're not yelling at each other over the little things. You wouldn't believe it, but sometimes he makes more sense than anyone I've ever met. Maybe it's because we're trapped in the same situation, or because he's been alive so much longer than I have, but he's really not as bad as he used to be, if only because he can't do anything I don't agree to on some level."

"You cooperate... in order to survive," Hinata said slowly.

"I guess you could look at it that way," he replied with a shrug. "He never would've let me die, but this way he doesn't let me suffer needlessly, either. I found out really quick that if I piss him off, he can take his time healing me up or get stingy with his chakra."

"Then, he's not..." Hinata trailed off and tried to form her question in a way that wasn't offensive. "He's not... a monster?"

Naruto blinked. "Uh... well, he is a demon, but... he can't hurt anyone unless I let him, and he hasn't leaked any really bad dreams to me in years."

"Is he cruel to you?" Hinata rephrased.

"Not anymore," Naruto answered at once. "Why?"

Hinata wasn't sure about this next part, but she felt it was important. "Could I... speak to him? Directly?"

Naruto's face went blank, and for a terrifying moment, she thought he was bringing Kyuubi to the surface before she was really ready for it. Then he blinked several times.

"Hinata, I... don't know if that's such a good idea," he said at last. "He's not really easy to talk to. And he's not what you'd call polite."

"Would he hurt me?" she asked.

"No. Well, not for the purpose of causing you pain for no good reason, anyway."

"There's a good reason to cause me pain?" Hinata asked sharply.

Naruto winced. "That came out wrong. Try to understand, Hinata. He's a demon fox. He's not a stranger to feeling and causing pain, but it's not always about torture and killing. In some cases, pain and pleasure are intertwined for him. What I'm saying is that he doesn't consider you an enemy, and he's not going to attack you with intent to harm. At worst he might bite or scratch you, and even then it's just... um... well, it wouldn't be for the most obvious reasons. I know it sounds weird, and that's why I'd rather you just told me anything you wanted him to know."

Hinata shook her head. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but I think I have to talk to him. I believe it's for the best. And even if he isn't polite, there are things I would rather say to him, not you."

He stared at her for so long that Hinata began to think he wouldn't agree to her request. Finally, with obvious reluctance, his fingers flew through some hand seals so fast that Hinata couldn't make out a single one, and the next thing she knew, there were two of him.

That was wrong, however, she realized almost immediately. The second Naruto, despite looking nearly identical to the original, just... felt wrong. At least, Hinata could not bring herself to relax in his presence, as she would have around Naruto. Nor did he move in a way that Hinata had ever seen any human move; she could practically feel the air itself tensing when he made even the slightest motion, as if he could somehow destroy even that with a mere gesture.

But it was the glowing red eyes that Hinata knew she would never mistake for Naruto's deep blue ones. Strangely, there was no malice in the eyes that Hinata could see, and she couldn't even begin to imagine why the demon would go to any lengths to hide such feelings. She had long thought he would enjoy the idea of people fearing him. True, Hinata was afraid, even with Naruto right there, but she trusted that he wouldn't have agreed to this if there was any real danger to her.

For the first minute or so, Kyuubi gave no sign that he even knew Hinata was there. Instead, he stretched his body in ways Hinata doubted would've been comfortable for Naruto, and gave the impression that this was not something he was able to enjoy frequently, so he was going to savor every moment of it. Only when he was done stretching did Kyuubi look Hinata's way, and even then he seemed more bored than anything else.

Hinata suspected he was waiting on her to say something, but she wasn't quite sure how to address him. While she didn't expect Kyuubi to be polite, she knew it was best if she herself remained courteous, even if he did something horribly rude.

Without warning, Kyuubi suddenly made a sound that was half laugh and half snort as he sat down beside Naruto, his eyes shining with amusement. "I'll give her this much, runt. She's got to be the smartest woman I've seen since I got stuck with you."

Naruto looked at him blankly. "But she hasn't even said anything to you yet."

Kyuubi grinned, displaying a mouthful of exceptionally long teeth. "Exactly. I like her already."

Naruto opened his mouth, paused, and tried to figure out if he should be angry or pleased about that.

Hinata wasn't sure how to feel about the comment herself, and it didn't help matters when Kyuubi gave her his full attention. He no longer looked bored. In fact, he looked very much amused, as if he'd just found a new toy to play with.

"So you're supposed to be the mate," he said abruptly, grinning in a way that implied he had been saving that line for quite some time.

"Hey! Shut up, you old as dirt fox!" Naruto snapped.

Hinata's eyes widened in alarm, but Kyuubi barely even glanced at Naruto before turning back to her.

"Don't be stupid, runt. You can both pretend to be in denial, but everyone knows why we're really here, so let's get it out of the way. You want her, she wants you, and nothing you do is going to change that. Honestly, it doesn't look like either of you are going to do any better. And you know I'm right, because you wouldn't have bothered to introduce me if you weren't completely serious about her."

He was right, of course, and that worried Hinata somewhat. She'd half expected Naruto had brought her here to ask for her hand in marriage, and even if he hadn't, the thought of pursuing anyone else simply had not occurred to her. There was likely no one who could ever compare to Naruto in her mind, and while he didn't yet realize that, Kyuubi seemed to know not only Naruto's heart, but hers as well. It made her wonder what else Kyuubi was capable of just by looking at her, and the potential answers were not at all comforting.

As if he enjoyed seeing them off balance, Kyuubi went right on keeping them uncomfortable. "Go on home, runt. I need to have a little chat with the mate."

"First, STOP CALLING HER THAT!" Naruto yelled, his face red. "Second, there's NO way I'm going to leave you alone with her!"

"And you claim we get along fine," Kyuubi snorted. "I sense a serious lack of trust here."

"Damn right you do, and if you think I'm just going to walk off so you can start pawing at Hinata, then-"

Any amusement Kyuubi had been feeling dried up in an instant, and though all he did was turn his head to glare at Naruto, the blonde instantly froze, sensing he'd crossed a line.

"I've got three words for you, runt: Blue. FUCKING. Balls."

Naruto's face turned a spectacular shade of violet, as if he wanted to laugh, vomit, and wet his pants all at once.

"Let's get one thing straight. I'm not used to going without. Hell, I've never HAD to. And just because YOU'VE never gotten any, it doesn't mean I'm indifferent to the subject. Far from it, in fact. Now, do you REALLY think I'd do anything to scare off the one woman who might be interested in putting out on a regular basis?"

Normally, Hinata would've interrupted at that point, but since she didn't want Kyuubi looking at her the way he was currently glaring at Naruto, she wisely kept her mouth shut.

"Now," Kyuubi said calmly, "you are going to go home, and about half an hour after you get there, I'll bring OUR woman home, in roughly the same condition as when you left her. If she feels like telling you what went on, then feel free to ask her. And if you ever imply that I would mistreat her just for kicks, then I'll fill your head with so many nightmares that you'll make Shukaku's redhead look like a deep sleeper."

Hinata had no idea who Shukaku was, but apparently the threat was a serious one, because Naruto offered no further protest. He didn't leave in a hurry, however, throwing several concerned glances over his shoulder before Hinata finally lost sight of him.

"You'll have to forgive him," Kyuubi sighed, sounding very much like a parent who'd sent a naughty child to his room. "He's only used to protecting females, not actually taking care of their needs. He likes to think that because I'm not human, I don't know how to deal with them, but the truth is that I know how people think better than he does."

"Then you already know why I wanted to speak with you?" Hinata guessed.

He nodded slowly, gazing steadily at her. "You want to know if I'd go out of my way to protect your children. It's a good question, but a stupid one, and only further proves that most people are deeply misinformed about us."

Hinata was too curious to be offended, so she said nothing.

"He's my physical body now; his blood is my blood. You keep trying to separate us in your head, but it doesn't really work that way, no matter how much we wish it did. Any children you bear with him will still be my pups. It's the same with you. You're his woman and my mate. I'm part of him, and you can't have one without the other."

"Do you have to keep calling me a mate?" Hinata asked uneasily. "Naruto-kun and I haven't even... done anything official yet."

Kyuubi rolled his eyes. "I don't usually stress over little details, and especially not over eventualities. You may not be my mate today, or tomorrow, but you will be soon. As I said before, we wouldn't be talking if he weren't serious about you."

"And what makes you so sure that I still want to be Naruto-kun's... woman?" she demanded. Hinata hadn't meant for it to come out that way, but Kyuubi was really starting to make her feel like she had no say in the matter.

Kyuubi didn't look at all offended, just annoyed that he was being questioned over something he thought was obvious. "All of your life, someone has been protecting you. It doesn't mean that you can't protect yourself. It just means that you've gotten used to having help. Naruto is the kind of person that thrives on protecting others. He wants to take care of you, and you want to let him. You know as well as I do that there's no one else you'd be willing to devote yourself to completely. Either you become his woman, or you spend the rest of your life alone, refusing to be with anyone else, and wondering what could've been."

"What about you?" Hinata asked. "Does it matter to you that I'm the one Naruto-kun chose?"

"You'll do," Kyuubi replied swiftly. Noticing the way she bristled, he grinned. "I'll admit that your being partnered with the Inuzuka made things much easier. But it also brings up an interesting problem..."

"What problem?"

"You smell like dog."

Hinata had heard such criticism before, and usually it didn't bother her, but somehow having Kyuubi point it out put her on the defensive. "And what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, now. But you plan to be Naruto's woman. And when dogs chase foxes, it's not usually so they can mate. Aside from that, it would complicate my efforts to protect the children."

"How?"

"There are currently plenty of people that smell like dog in this village, but only one that smells like a fox. That will be the mark of everyone under my protection... starting with you."

"What exactly is involved in changing my scent?" Hinata murmured hesitantly.

"Since you were not born an Inuzuka, you would've been marked at some point in your life. It's why you could use their jutsu and understand the dog."

"How do you know that?"

"I have ears, and I keep them open," Kyuubi replied flatly. "Also I've had more than a few... spirited discussions with dog shinobi in the past. I know their ways."

"You mean you fought them," Hinata correctly assumed.

"They started it," he countered at once. "I told you, dogs don't usually chase foxes so they can mate, and I certainly wasn't about to let them try if they were interested. So long as your dog keeps his nose to himself, we won't have a problem."

"And you know how to... change my mark?"

"Yes," Kyuubi answered. "But I will, of course, have to see it. I assume it's somewhere on your back."

Hinata's eyes narrowed. "And how would you know that?"

He grinned lecherously at her. "You were marked by a dog, weren't you? Where else would it be?"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Immensely. And I still have to see the mark. That is, unless you want me to go poking and prodding blindly. And even if you wouldn't mind that, Naruto might. Not that I care what he thinks, but he might try to drown himself in ramen as retaliation, and that's something neither of us needs to see."

Hinata tried not to think too much about what she was doing as she turned away, slipped off her coat, and slowly pulled up her shirt until her lower back was exposed. Because of the awkward location, she'd only been able to see the mark once or twice in her life, but she knew it was still there, even if it no longer looked the same. Every time she used one of Kiba's jutsu, there was always a peculiar warmth spiraling out from that area, strangely similar to the way her face felt after using the Byakugan for extended periods. Even now, she couldn't recall exactly when she'd first noticed the odd sensation in her back. She was fairly certain that Akamaru had put the mark there, since he would've been small enough to squirm his way into her coat at the time, though she must have been sleeping quite deeply to have missed it.

She was brought back to reality when she heard Kyuubi snort and mutter something under his breath. "Is there a problem?" Hinata asked.

"No. I was just reminded of how unoriginal dogs are. I mean, here you have a lovely, living canvas to work with, and all he can think to do is use a boring red paw print. Simple savages, every last one of them."

Hinata drew her lips into a thin line. "I'm only interested in changing my scent for the sake of my future family. I'd prefer it if you didn't try to make a masterpiece on my back."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" he asked lightly.

"The same place as my rapidly dwindling dignity."

"One, you have nothing to be ashamed of from where I'm standing. Two, we'll have to work that shyness out of you one day. I have a few ideas I could... bounce off of you."

"Akamaru managed to do this without saying a word. I think I like his way better."

Kyuubi muttered something she didn't dare repeat, but finally stopped talking. For a moment, at least.

"I'll have to draw blood in order to do this."

"How much?" Hinata whispered.

"Hardly any, by my standards. Don't squirm and you should be fine."

He was probably only saying that because she'd insulted him, but Hinata was still very worried when she suddenly felt five sharp pinpricks in her back that steadily began to grow worse. A pained whimper slipped through her lips, and she squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to cry in front of him. That was when Kyuubi's lips brushed her ear, and he made a sound that was not quite purring, and not quite growling. Hinata was reminded of the many times she had fallen asleep curled up against Akamaru's side. Often he made sounds that were somewhat similar, and ultimately the effect on her was the same. She began to relax on an instinctive level, and soon she was sagging against him, enjoying the way the sound seemed to echo throughout her body.

"And we're done," Kyuubi said quietly a few moments later. "Not a masterpiece, but it'll serve the purpose." He inhaled deeply and chuckled. "You're starting to smell more like me already."

"What did you do, exactly?" Hinata breathed, slowly moving away from him.

"Basically it's mixing my blood with yours. And before you ask, it would be no different if Naruto had done it. Well, except I can be more precise. If he notices any change in your scent, it'll only be that you don't smell like dog anymore. But I'll know your scent, and that will be enough."

"Will Akamaru still be able to talk to me?" she asked, deciding not to pull her shirt down over the still tender area just yet. She was curious as to what the new mark looked like, but knew Kyuubi would laugh at her if she asked him for a mirror, or tried to twist around and see it on her own.

"Probably not, and I doubt you would've been able to for much longer, anyway. Your old mark was faded, and the bond was dissolving. Your dog will no doubt find other ways to communicate if he needs to. He can't be completely useless if you've had him for this long."

The comment was completely unnecessary, and Hinata was about to say so, but she looked up just in time to see a long cut in Kyuubi's clawed hand rapidly sealing itself and then fading entirely. He flexed his fingers a few times before lowering his hand. Noticing her staring, he shrugged slightly. "One of the many perks. You won't heal as fast or as frequently, but you should only be going to the hospital to visit or heal someone else."

"This is all going to take some getting used to, isn't it?" Hinata asked quietly.

"If it makes you feel any better, you handled it a lot better than the pinkhead did," Kyuubi replied. "She blubbered for a whole day, and that was without having talked to me. Probably telling her here didn't help, either. Naruto and I weren't as used to each other then as we are now, and it was pretty bad for a while. That's how I know what it feels like to drown in ramen."

"But Sakura came around eventually?"

"More or less. She stopped shaking like a leaf, anyway. Probably she just doesn't think about it unless she has to. You should do the same, for that matter. You know how people would react if they knew Naruto could willingly give me a temporary body to roam around in. But they stopped watching this area a long time ago, and it's the only place ANBU won't bother to follow him. Now's a good time to see if you can call your dog, so you don't have to walk home alone."

Hinata looked at him in surprise. "You're not coming?"

Kyuubi shook his head. "Anyone spying on you has already seen one Naruto leave here. I could easily disguise myself, but it would have to be someone from the village. While a stranger would raise suspicion, there's also the danger of crossing paths with the person I'm disguised as. It's easier just to have someone else escort you."

For a moment, Hinata thought about suggesting that Kyuubi disguise himself as something else, such as a plant or even her Gaara plushie. Then she realized that Kyuubi had a valid point: being caught with him in any form other than the original Naruto would probably have fatal consequences. That Naruto had even given him a temporary body inside the village was an indicator of his trust in Kyuubi, and Hinata thought that one day, perhaps she could come to trust him just as much.

Kyuubi was strangely silent as he led Hinata back through the many twists and turns of the Uchiha compound. She wasn't sure, but she thought he might have known some of the Uchiha in a non-enemy capacity at some point, probably a very long time ago. It was too early to start asking questions like that of Kyuubi, so Hinata made a point to remember to ask Naruto later on.

"Looks like you don't have to worry about calling your dog."

Hinata looked up to see Akamaru sitting patiently just outside of the compound. She found that odd only because she'd left him with Temari, who had said something about making dinner plans as they parted ways after the chuunin exams. It occurred to her that maybe he'd sensed her seal being changed, but when Hinata turned to ask Kyuubi about this, he was gone.

Feeling somewhat disappointed, Hinata walked over to Akamaru and sat down beside him, laying her head against his leg. "Akamaru, can you... can you still talk to me?" she asked softly. "I wouldn't ask, but I really need to know…"

For several seconds, Akamaru did not respond. Finally, he poked his nose into her hair, sniffed, and said, _"This is probably a bad time, but I should tell you why I don't mind being around Naruto anymore."_

Hinata was so happy that they could still talk that she almost missed what he'd said. "What is it?"

_"Well, I always wanted to chase him a little. Something about the way he smelled. Only I didn't, because I thought you'd get mad, and he might take it the wrong way. Now, I figure you wouldn't mind as much, and he wouldn't care either way. But... now you sort of smell like him, and..."_

Blinking slowly, Hinata raised her head to stare at Akamaru, who was staring right back at her in the oddest way. Almost like he wanted to... well, EAT her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

_"You don't... want to go for a run, do you?"_ Akamaru asked, in a way that suggested he really, really hoped she'd say yes.

"Akamaru... you're not going to chase me... are you?" she asked slowly.

He had the decency to look guilty and hang his head. _"Maybe just a little?"_

"Akamaru!" she cried.

_"Don't blame ME. You're the one who smells different!"_ He nudged her shoulder with his head. _"I'd give you a head start and everything!"_

"I am not going to run from you!"

He whined, just for effect. _"It's nothing we haven't done before! Just... a little more spirited this time, is all."_

"No," Hinata said firmly. "Besides, that was when we were still getting used to each other. You haven't asked to chase me in years."

Akamaru's ears drooped. _"Fine. But I'm going to tell Hana that you wouldn't let me exercise."_

"That's not fair!" she protested.

_"You're sitting here, smelling all... chasey, and you won't let me chase you. How is that fair to me?"_

Hinata shook her head. "For one thing, I could only imagine how the villagers would react if they thought I'd lost control of my dog. But if you really can't help yourself, then... I guess we could play later on. But it'll have to be somewhere where no one can see us."

_"Great! But could you at least skip a bit on the way home?"_

"No. And don't you give me that 'poor lost puppy' look, either. You're supposed to grow out of chasing girls around."

_"I'll have you know that I did grow out of it! I chase women, and then only those that wouldn't be afraid of me. Besides, who ever heard of a dog that didn't like to chase foxes? That's like a dog who doesn't eat meat!"_

Before Hinata could debate the matter further, they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Konohamaru.

"Congratulations, Hinata-san!" he said with a strangely bright smile.

She could see right away that something was wrong. The one thing she liked most about Konohamaru was how easy and natural his smiles were. This last one had seemed alien on his face, and she privately hoped that he would never have cause to use it again. "Thank you, Konohamaru. Now what's on your mind?"

His face seemed to collapse into a depressed pout in the space of a heartbeat. "I'm so sorry, Hinata-san. I've been ordered to inform you that... starting tomorrow, you're no longer allowed to live with us. Kakashi-sama told us that in person, and, well... after Asuma oji-san managed to pull Kurenai oba-san off of him-"

Hinata's hands flew to her mouth. "She attacked him? But he's..."

"She was REALLY angry," Konohamaru reminded her with a sad smile. "Anyway, I'm supposed to take you directly to Kakashi-sama." He paused and looked away. "I'm really going to miss you, Hinata-san. I never had any sisters, so... it's been great having you around even this long, and... um..."

She saved him the trouble by standing up and hugging him. "I'll miss you, too. Don't worry, I'll be sure to visit often. But... is Kurenai-sensei going to be in trouble?"

Konohamaru shook his head. "Kakashi-sama said he'd overlook the incident, since he understood it was hard for her to let you go. I hope he still feels that way once the bleeding stops..."

* * *

_"Maybe it won't be so bad,"_ Akamaru reasoned. _"Kakashi wouldn't stick you with someone who hated you, right?"_

Hinata shook her head slightly as they followed Konohamaru down the street. "That's not what bothers me. I'm worried about Kurenai-sensei. She must be taking this really hard."

_"You both knew this day would come after the chuunin exam. Maybe not immediately after, but still. Besides, she's a strong woman."_

"But she doesn't have any children of her own, Akamaru."

He shot her a doubtful glance. _"And that somehow makes her unable to handle stressful situations? If that were true, then she's really in the wrong line of work."_

"She still has a heart, and it can break just as easily as anyone else's. It's not right to just-"

_"Separate a mother from her young?"_ Akamaru responded. _"No, it isn't. Yet sometimes it's also completely necessary. It's unfortunate that you two didn't have more time together, but even if you were her child, you are a woman yourself now. You both have to accept that. In good time you'll have your own children to care for."_

"I feel like I'm abandoning her," Hinata murmured.

_"You don't really have a choice in the matter, and she knows there's no one else you'd rather live with. She won't blame you. From the sound of it, she'd be in no mood to see anyone else today. Give her time to cool down, instead of rushing over and complicating things. Trust me, she'll be much happier to see you once she hears you've found another home just as good as the one she provided you with."_

"Are you sure?"

_"No, but she'll definitely take it better than if you ended up in a horrible one. I would, anyway."_

Hinata briefly stroked his neck. "You're probably right, Akamaru."

_"Of course I am,"_ he agreed at once, leaning into her hand. _"So I know that you'll agree when I say that this neighborhood is starting to look a little too familiar."_

Up to that point, Hinata had been so concerned about her sensei that she hadn't paid any attention to where Konohamaru was leading them. But now that she looked, there were more than a few familiar sites around. It didn't take her long to realize that Naruto's home was just a few minutes away. Surely Konohamaru knew this as well, but that probably wouldn't have cheered him up at all. He most likely felt that he was not only losing a sister, but failing to help someone that mattered to Hanabi. Hinata didn't feel that way at all, however, and hoped Hanabi wouldn't think badly of Konohamaru because of this. If nothing else, he'd made her feel even more welcome in the Sarutobi compound.

As Naruto's apartment came into view, there was a very noticeable crowd of people gathered near the front door, and even over the noise of the crowd, it was still terribly easy to hear what could only be Naruto's enraged voice ringing out.

"YOU NO-GOOD, LYING, PERVERTED, ONE-EYED... SNAKE!"

Hinata had learned very quickly that Naruto never associated anyone with a snake unless they'd done something absolutely unforgivable in his opinion, so she assumed that Kakashi had somehow managed to deeply offend Naruto, although she couldn't even begin to imagine how. At the same time, she also knew that Naruto could get quite colorful in his insults, so apparently some part of him was still clinging to what little respect he had left for Kakashi.

Instead of trying to fight his way through the crowd, Konohamaru came up with a better solution. And though it was hardly the time for it, Hinata couldn't help but be impressed at the way in which people quickly moved aside when they saw Anko (or anyone that looked exactly like her) heading their way.

Naruto was still yelling at Kakashi as they approached, and seemingly the only reason he hadn't actually thrown a punch was because Sakura had a firm grip on his arms. If Naruto was aware of how many eyes were on him, he didn't show it, although his head quickly snapped in Hinata's direction when she was still a good distance away. The rage simply faded out of him as their gazes met, as if Naruto's brain would not allow him to look at her with anger in his eyes.

By then, Kakashi had noticed them as well, and he wasn't about to let the break in Naruto's tirade pass without getting his say in.

"As I was saying, Naruto, you can't be concerned with only yourself anymore. You need to start thinking about the well-being of those you'll one day be responsible for. You have to plan for your future, as well as theirs. A good place to start would be rethinking your position on Hinata's relocation. It's normal to have mixed feelings about such things, but all you're doing now is pointlessly making a scene. Do you really want to give any other people in this village the impression that you have an explosive temper and can't be trusted to behave with some common decency? You'll never be a proper clan head if you blow up over every situation that comes along."

"But this is an emergency!" Konohamaru suddenly blurted out. "You've taken Hinata-san out of her home! Naruto has every right to be upset! You're endangering a member of his clan! You-"

Naruto's hand came down on Konohamaru's shoulder and squeezed tightly. "That's enough. This isn't about Hinata being in any further danger. It's about her having a right to choose where she belongs. She's earned that right, and as of today, that's official. So no one has any right to tell her that she has to live in a certain place."

Kakashi sighed and shook his head. "Why you young people insist on being difficult, I'll never know. Believe it or not, I do have other matters to attend to today, so this is the end of the conversation, as far as I'm concerned. You two can work out the details, I'm sure." With that, he turned to Hinata and held out a brand new identification card. "I really only wanted to hand you this in person, Hinata, and welcome you to the rest of your life. As Naruto said, it is your life now, and ultimately your choice. I merely thought you could use a little push, and it was not my intention to upset anyone. Far from it, in fact. I'm certain you'll find that in the long run, this solution is best for everyone."

It only took Hinata a moment to scan the card. She was not quite surprised to find that she recognized the new address; it matched Naruto's current one perfectly. All in all, she found it a bit presumptuous, but considering that she had both accepted and bonded with Kyuubi in under an hour, it was more a formality than anything else. Still, as Naruto had said, it was nice to have a choice in these things. Although it was difficult to decide just how much of a fuss she should make about this. Obviously, part of her had been looking forward to living with Naruto, but she didn't want to seem too eager. Even if she was no longer Hyuuga, it could still reflect badly on her former clan.

Strangely, Kakashi didn't move until she raised her eyes to meet his. Then he blinked, nodded, and assured Hinata he would be working late today, just in case she found any 'mistakes' on her new card. With that, he actually walked away (a rare thing for him), taking most of the crowd with him.

Naruto looked as if he wanted to apologize, even though they both knew he had in no way influenced Kakashi's decision. Hinata wasn't quite sure what to say to him, so she simply took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. That calmed him somewhat, but he was still looking very troubled.

"So... you're going to live here, Hinata-san?" Konohamaru asked slowly, looking back and forth between them. He had a cautiously hopeful look on his face that made Hinata blush.

Naruto had just opened his mouth when his door slammed open, revealing a grinning Temari.

"Welcome home, roomie!" Temari greeted excitedly, wrapping her arms around Hinata in a huge hug.

"Uh, Temari," Sakura murmured nervously. "Didn't you hear Naruto yelling?"

Temari blinked and released Hinata, shooting a curious look at Naruto. "You were yelling? Guess I'm just used to it, so I tuned you out. I was cooking, and I wanted everything to be perfect for Hinata's first meal in her new... what?" she asked as Naruto waved his hands wildly to get her to stop talking. "You DID tell her, didn't you?"

"Well, I didn't, but someone did, so-"

"And she said yes, right?" Temari interrupted.

"Um, see, that's what we're still-"

"Of course I did," Hinata added quickly, squeezing Naruto's hand again. At his questioning, slightly worried glance, she smiled and nodded. "What else would I have said?"

"Great!" Temari pulled them both into an enthusiastic hug. "You'll see, Hinata, it'll be just like it was in Suna! Except Gaara won't be around to leer at you, and now we have to clean up after Naruto, but once you get past the smell-"

"HEY!" Naruto shouted indignantly.

"We even managed to make some space for Akamaru," Temari went on, scratching behind the dog's ears. "It'll be a little cramped for a while, but we're working on an expansion project that will solve that problem."

Hinata barely stifled a giggle as Akamaru's tongue lolled out of his mouth. "Careful, Temari. If you do that too often, he'll never let you stop."

_"That's it, I've decided,"_ Akamaru remarked with a dreamy sigh. _"If you don't marry into this family, Hinata, I will."_

* * *

Temari turned out to be a surprisingly good cook, although she claimed she'd learned only out of self-preservation. "You spend enough time traveling with two idiots who would rather glare at each other than gather food, and you learn to depend on yourself," she explained while clearing off the dinner table. "By the time I started living with Naruto, I was just an okay cook, but I never knew until we had company. Naruto just inhaled any mistakes I made as quickly as he did the good stuff, and he never complained once. He was probably afraid I'd stop feeding him."

"More like I didn't want to get whacked with your fan," Naruto corrected. "I'm still here, so you couldn't have made anything too bad."

"Gee, thanks," Temari muttered.

"It's a compliment!" he insisted. "Women are supposed to like those!"

"Except your compliments make us want to hit you," Sakura pointed out with a grin.

"You'd probably do that either way," Naruto grumbled, ducking as Sakura took a swipe at his ear. "See! I knew it!"

"That wasn't a compliment and you know it!"

"Okay, statement of fact, but still!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You could take a lesson from Konohamaru, Naruto. I never see any girls beating him up."

Konohamaru laughed nervously. "Oh, I just got my share of beatings out of the way early, that's all. Now I know when to say what."

"You mean she's got you trained," Naruto concluded.

"Exactly," Konohamaru replied instantly with a straight face. "But I had to take orders from her either way. At least now I know things about her I never would've if I'd just remained a teammate."

"Like?" Naruto prodded.

"She's only ticklish in one spot."

"Really? Where?"

"I like my face the way it is, so you'll never know."

Hinata simply sat and watched the conversation flow back and forth. It was odd, how the simple act of just listening to them made her feel at peace. The Hyuuga simply didn't do things like this. Talking was always so serious, and there was never really a time to just relax and be with each other.

Akamaru seemed to notice the direction of her thoughts, because he raised his head from the floor and poked her hand with his nose. _"This is what it's like to have a family, you know."_

"No... I don't, really," Hinata said softly.

_"You will,"_ Akamaru replied confidently, dropping his head onto his paws. _"Wake me up when you're ready to be chased. And no claiming you forgot, either."_

0

* * *

Though Hinata hadn't been looking forward to being chased, it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as she'd thought it would be. Akamaru seemed to enjoy chasing her more than he actually did catching her, and even then all he did was lick her face until she managed to escape him again. Hinata found that she was enjoying herself far too much, because it was nearly dark when it occurred to her that they should stop for the day. It was lucky that Naruto had known about the small abandoned lot within walking distance of his apartment, and from the way the few small trees present were leaning to one side, Temari had come her to train with her fan as well.

Hinata let her mind wander as she leaned against Akamaru's side, waiting for her breathing to return to normal. In the same day, she'd become a chuunin, a live-in girlfriend, a roommate, and the mate of a sealed demon. At the very least, she would never be bored again.

She almost didn't hear Akamaru when he lifted his head and announced, _"Your sister's coming, but don't go to her. Let her come to us."_

"What? Why?" Hinata asked, clearly confused.

_"Because I don't feel like having to chase her in order to lick her fingers, that's why. She'd probably take it wrong and try to kill me or something."_

Sure enough, Hanabi stepped into the lot a moment later. She looked more exhausted than Hinata had ever seen her, but otherwise fine.

"Has it been a long day for you, too, Hanabi-chan?" Hinata asked, shifting slightly so that there was room for her sister to sit near Akamaru's head.

Hanabi paused, silently debating whether she actually wanted to come in contact with the dog again. Apparently deciding that Hinata looked far too comfortable for her liking, she gave in and sank down beside her, closing her eyes as she rested her head against Akamaru's side. She frowned when he jostled her arm with his head, but finally sighed and surrendered her right hand, which he promptly began to lick.

"I thought I had experienced unimaginable pain, Hinata. And then I was forced to sit in a room and listen to a bunch of old, close-minded people drone on about your recent activities. Activities which, I might add, had already been shared with me by Kouji-kun, and that I had no need or desire to hear again. And at least his reports were mildly entertaining."

"I'm sorry?" Hinata offered slowly.

Hanabi smiled faintly. "I was not seeking an apology, merely sharing the events of my day."

"Then... I'm not causing any problems for you?"

"No more than I expected your returning alive would, but that was my choice, not yours. And no, you haven't done anything wrong. The elders are just obsessing over what they consider a rather large oversight on my part, as if I had no idea that you were in the same village as us."

"Are you sure my being here won't-"

Hanabi opened her eyes. "Hinata. You are my sister. Whatever problems your being here might cause, I will gladly deal with each of them. Did I not make it clear in Suna that I have no intention of letting you go again?"

Hinata stared at her for a few seconds, before finally smiling and gently laying her head on Hanabi's shoulder. "I love you, too, Hanabi-chan." Her smile only widened when she felt the added pressure of Hanabi's head resting against her own.

"I was not expecting you to move in with Naruto-san so quickly, but that may have been a very good idea."

"Why do people keep saying that?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Naruto-san has expressed serious interest in founding his own clan. While there are some people who will never trust him completely, it is for the best that he maintains some normalcy in his life. His taking a willing wife will ease some of the prejudice against him."

Hinata felt her cheeks growing hot. "You really think so?"

"There is also the added benefit that it will, at least officially, distance you from the Hyuuga Clan. I expect the elders will calm down somewhat after that. That is, until your children are born with the Byakugan. But by then, I'll be in a much better position to inform them that it is none of their business."

The protective edge in her sister's voice eased Hinata's fears considerably, but it also made her wonder. "Do you think our children will be able to play together, Hanabi-chan?"

In the next moment, it was as if every inch of Hanabi's skin had turned to ice. Hinata pulled away quickly, uncertain as to whether Hanabi was pushing her away, or merely guarding herself. Either way, Hinata no longer felt she was welcome to touch her sister.

"I swear on my blood... no, our blood," Hanabi said softly, "that I will play with your children, Hinata. But that is all I can promise you."

Hanabi's answer both pleased and worried Hinata. "You... you're not going to marry Konohamaru, are you?" she asked.

"No. And before you ask, I have told him that several times. I do not think he has completely accepted it as fact. I hate having to repeat myself, and yet..."

"You love that he keeps asking?" Hinata guessed with a small smile.

Sighing, Hanabi shook her head slightly. "He will never stop asking. He wouldn't be Konohamaru if he did. And there is no need for you to try and push us together. We are as close as we ever will be."

Hinata cleared her throat. "So, um... why where you with Shino-kun today?"

"I suppose there is no harm in telling you that he has agreed to assist me in becoming Hyuuga clan head."

"How can he do that?"

Hanabi smirked. "Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that he never mentioned to you that he was the heir of his clan. He was probably trying to be sensitive to your plight. Of course, his situation is made simpler because he has no competition."

Hinata suddenly realized that she'd only ever met Shino's father, and that she'd never heard about any Aburame being more promising than her teammate. Either there were no more possible heirs, or Shino had simply overshadowed them all.

"Shino-san and I will propose a partnership between our two clans. Nothing that will necessitate a marriage between us, simply a pact that is mutually beneficial. I am the only Hyuuga he will deal with, and his father will only agree to the proposal once I have been formally recognized as the Hyuuga clan head. The elders will give in soon enough, and with the backing of the Aburame Clan, I will be able to bring great change to our village. In time, I may even find a way to end onii-san's pain."

It was a little strange for Hinata to hear Hanabi speaking that way. She could remember a time when she had been the only one wanting to end Neji's pain. Of course, she'd also been the only who knew about it, because even Neji himself had denied its existence and treated any offers for assistance like threats. But Neji was no longer quite the person she remembered, nor was Hanabi, for that matter. Had it really been her leaving that had made them change, or had they changed each other?

"I am glad to know that you have been, and will continue to be safe while my attention has been elsewhere," Hanabi stated quietly. "If there is one thing I have learned about Naruto-san, he is very passionate about protecting those he loves."

"The more I hear the things like that," Hinata sighed, "the more I wish Naruto-kun would the say the words himself."

"That is not his way. Naruto-san shows his love through actions. I do not believe he has ever said the words to anyone. He has never had to, because anyone who was ever that close to him simply knew how he felt. You know this, Hinata. He would not invite you into his home if he felt any other way."

Hinata pulled out her ID card and turned it over and over with her fingers. "He never really got the chance to invite me. He swears the only problem he had with it was that I wasn't given a choice, and even if that's true... I would've liked being asked by him."

Hanabi's hand shot out and snatched the card, bringing it up to her face. She blinked, and then handed it back to Hinata. "Did you actually read this card, Hinata?"

"Yes... why?"

"Did you read all of it?" Hanabi stressed.

Hinata frowned. "I thought I did. What's wrong with it?"

Hanabi simply looked at her in a way that made Hinata feel quite foolish. "If you still have doubts as to whether Naruto-san loves you, I think you need to check it again."

Feeling more confused by the moment, Hinata scanned the card again, but could find nothing wrong. She lifted her head to say so, but Hanabi's hand gripped her arm, pushing the card closer to her face. "The NAME, Hinata. Read the name."

"What? I don't see any mistakes. And Kakashi-sensei said that... what... AH!" Hinata's voice trailed off in a startled but happy little squeak as she finally noticed what Hanabi had been referring to. Indeed there was no mistake, at least not in Hinata's mind. But that was exactly why she hadn't been able to see it. Having pictured the name "Uzumaki Hinata" in her mind so many times, it hadn't even struck her as odd to see it anywhere else, so it hadn't stuck out at all.

But it was there. It wasn't surrounded by tiny hearts and miniature flowers, but it was definitely there.

Hanabi sighed and shook her head. "I don't know what worries me more: that I finally find one of Kakashi-sama's jokes humorous, or that you, with Byakugan and all, missed that. But at least you have a name now."

Without warning, Hinata lurched forward and grabbed Hanabi, planting a loud kiss on her cheek before running out of the lot.

Hanabi blinked, sighed again, and glanced at Akamaru, who had finally stopped licking her fingers. "Well? Aren't you going to go after her?"

Although he knew Hanabi couldn't hear him, Akamaru still responded. _"No need. There isn't a ninja alive who could stop her now. She's getting married."_

* * *

"You don't think she got lost, do you?"

Temari rolled her eyes. "Naruto, even if Hinata couldn't sniff us out, Akamaru could. And it's not like we live in a maze. She knows where we are, and if she didn't, it'd be pretty hard to miss us standing on the side of the road like this."

"But it's getting dark, and she's been gone for hours. What if something happened?"

"It's easy to lose track of time when you're playing with Akamaru, believe me. She'll come back when she realizes how late it is. Just relax."

"I can't," Naruto muttered. "Nee-chan, you stay here in case she comes back. I'm going to go find her."

Groaning, Temari turned away to go back inside. "Fine. But look both ways before crossing the-"

There was a rather loud thump behind her, and when she turned back, Temari found Naruto flat on his back with Hinata sprawled on top of him. "Huh. What are the chances of that?"

Naruto blinked a few times, and like Temari, assumed that Hinata had accidentally run into him. Had he been paying more attention at the time, he would've realized that she'd hit him at full speed in more of a wild tackle. At any rate, he definitely noticed when Hinata suddenly started kissing his face everywhere she could reach from her current position. And while he knew it wasn't a good idea to lay in the road at night, Naruto couldn't really do more than grin foolishly and let her continue.

Temari, feeling generous, let this go on for several minutes, until she finally walked over and pulled Hinata off of Naruto. "Knock it off, he's got to breathe at some point."

"No I don't!" Naruto gasped as he jumped up. "Let her go!"

"Quiet, you. Hinata, not that I'm complaining, but maybe you two want to take this inside and-"

"Yes, yes, YES!" Hinata squealed, squirming out of Temari's grasp and latching onto Naruto again.

"Oh, now you're just being disgusting on purpose!" Temari protested, pushing them both towards the apartment.

"YES!" Hinata cried in between frantic kisses.

"You admit it? That's not-" Temari blinked, and it finally dawned on her that Hinata wasn't answering so much as she was accepting. "Uh oh." She quickly pulled them apart again. "Naruto, I think you need to ask her why she keeps saying that!"

Naruto threw her a slightly desperate look. "Who CARES?"

"YOU do!" Temari hissed. "Naruto, ASK HER."

"What are you... oh... OH!" He quickly pulled out a kunai, and was about to cut off a lock of his hair when Hinata knocked it out of his hand.

"Don't you DARE! You can't have hair missing now!" Hinata practically shrieked.

Naruto blinked, obviously confused. "But it grows back pretty much overnight, so-"

"IF you needed your hair cut, I would do it," Hinata interrupted firmly. "But you don't, because I don't need that kunai anymore."

"You don't? But I thought-"

"You really should listen to your wife, Naruto."

"I... my... huh?" He stared at her as if he'd heard wrong, and then that silly grin spread across his face again. "Really? You mean you'll... YES! Yes, yes, YES!"

Temari shook her head as Naruto grabbed Hinata and began swinging her around in circles. "I hope I don't look that stupid when I get engaged." But after a moment's thought, she smiled. "On the other hand, if I play this right, maybe I won't have to give up my room!"

* * *

Hanabi did not like being put in awkward situations, or at least not those she couldn't fight her way out of. But in her mind, they had been occurring with increasing frequency since Hinata had come (or was forced) back into her life. And while this did not make her resent Hinata, it did remind Hanabi to be thankful that Hinata would be living with Naruto and Temari.

Perhaps then, Hanabi would no longer feel compelled to walk Akamaru home.

She knew perfectly well that he knew the way, and that he was more than capable of looking after himself. But he was still Hinata's dog, and in her excitement, Hinata had forgotten all about him. Hanabi still did not like him very much at all, but because he had not bitten her, she was willing to file him in the same category as an unusually large and hairy baby: they drooled comparable amounts, at least, and she got the distinct impression that if Akamaru was intelligent, he enjoyed making people think otherwise. Certainly he never seemed to understand anything Hanabi said, especially when she was telling him not to do something, and yet if her hand was extended for more than a few seconds, it would soon be damp with his drool.

Because of that, it was terribly easy to have him follow her to Naruto's apartment. Hanabi noticed with some disdain that there were very few traps set to discourage intruders. She could only assume this was due to Naruto's ignorance, Temari's arrogance, or both.

There was a brief moment in which Hanabi debated how best to get Akamaru inside, but the answer came to her almost immediately, and a simple henge later, Akamaru was reduced to the size Hanabi first encountered him in: that of a small, white dog. Far from being upset about the change, Akamaru ran happily around her feet for a few seconds, before bounding off through the apartment. Hanabi later found him curled up on the floor of Temari's bedroom.

This did not please Hanabi in the least, because she was fairly certain that Naruto's apartment had only ever had two bedrooms, and Temari was alone in one.

A short walk led her to Naruto's bedroom, and sure enough, Hinata was fast asleep in his bed. But she was also still wearing the same clothes Hanabi had seen her in earlier, which pointed to her being too exhausted to even change for bed. And Naruto was not actually in the bed, so much as he was seated on the floor beside the bed, not unlike Akamaru had been.

"You know, Hanabi-chan," he said quietly, "you're always welcome here, but if you're only here right now to prove that my security system needs work, could it wait until tomorrow? You can update it yourself if you really want to, so long as it's non-lethals only. But I wouldn't do anything too permanent if I were you. I don't plan to live here for too much longer."

"And why is that, Naruto-san?" Hanabi asked.

"I'll admit I don't know much about families, but I'm pretty sure I need more room to raise a proper one. Anyway, Hinata deserves her own home, not an apartment I've lived in all my life. And Akamaru needs plenty of space to run around. So do I, for that matter."

"I see." Hanabi glanced at Hinata's sleeping form. "May I offer you some advice, Naruto-san?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

"Do not be in too much of a hurry to start your family. You and Hinata have been apart for quite some time. Take time to remind yourself of why you chose her, and then share it with her. You will always be together, but once you have children, it may not be so easy to be alone together."

Naruto stared at her with a curious glint in his eyes. Finally, he gave her a knowing smile. "Okay, we'll wait. Just tell Neji and Tenten not to take too long. They only need one kid."

Hanabi frowned at him, but didn't put any real feeling behind it. "Konohamaru will come by tomorrow to collect onii-san's headband, and deliver Hinata's new one." At Naruto's questioning look, she added, "He will be needing it back, and Hinata earned more than her freedom today. She is a new person, and she should start out under a new banner. Onii-san and I are no longer the ones protecting her. Hinata's life is her own now."

"You don't need to worry," Naruto said as he stood up. "I'll keep her safe."

"Had I believed anything else, I never would've let you anywhere near her," Hanabi informed him without missing a beat.

He stared at her again, and then suddenly laughed for no reason that Hanabi could decipher. She was even more confused when he walked over and gave her a tight hug that might have left a weaker person gasping for air.

"I think I'm going to enjoy being related to you, Hanabi-chan. You're really funny!"

She gazed up into his smiling face, trying to decide if he was being serious or not. But the only thing she could detect from his features was sheer joy, and not for the first time, she wondered if Naruto realized that there were jounin who lacked his ability to hide their true emotions beneath their own faces. Yet this was the first time that Hanabi truly believed that what she saw on the surface might also be below it. Despite all the warnings and rumors surrounding Uzumaki Naruto, something told her that he would take his own life before he even thought of laying a hand on Hinata in anger.

It was only after refusing several offers to escort her home that Hanabi was allowed to leave, and even then she'd had to pointedly tell Naruto that he should only be with Hinata at such a late hour. Just the thought of her needing to be escorted anywhere was insulting to Hanabi, especially since Naruto knew what she was capable of. But she also knew he hadn't really offered out of concern, or even to be polite.

He had done it solely because Hinata would've done the same, and no doubt expected it of him as well. Naruto might never be a fine husband, but at the very least, he had the makings of a decent one, and even that was more than Hanabi had ever expected Hinata to find.

**End of Part 7B.**

* * *

Endnotes: (for both parts of Part 7, since I was too lazy to separate them)

Tatsuo - "dragon man"

Tomoko - "friendly/wise child"

Keiji - "respectful second son"

Tatsuo's jutsu:

**Katon: Karyu Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)**: Shoots an enormous ball of flame in the shape of a dragon from the user's mouth.

Tomoko's jutsu:

**Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique)**: The user quickly replaces themselves with another nearby object, normally a wooden log, an animal, or even another person within reach. A fairly common Jutsu, it is one of the basic Jutsu a Ninja must learn before graduating to the Genin level.

Naruto's jutsu:

**Kyuubi Kunai**: Naruto's version of the Yondaime Hokage's Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique). Naruto ties a lock of his own hair around a kunai (to distinguish it from other kunai) and gives it to anyone who has his permission to "summon" him. The person would send their chakra into the kunai before imbedding it in the ground. Kyuubi would sense the chakra, and instantly transport Naruto to the location, using the kunai as a reference point. It's largely the same principle as summoning, but with a much smaller amount of chakra required from the summoner (since Kyuubi does all the work).

**Kyuubi Bunshin**: A Shadow Clone created exclusively by Kyuubi's signature red chakra. Such a clone retains a portion of Kyuubi's personality, responding only to his will. Naruto can limit how powerful the clones are, but they are essentially independent once given life, and can only be destroyed through significant damage, chakra depletion, or Kyuubi's consent.

When Hinata says that Akamaru can stimulate chakra production, she means only in himself. This would be when he turns red, which he no longer needs Hinata to initiate by drawing his excess chakra out.

I actually could see Asuma and Kurenai not getting married, ever. But my own sinister porpoises demanded that they do it for the sake of the story. And you don't mess with evil aquatic life, my friends. And damn, I just found out what they did to Asuma in the manga. Also, I prefer to think of Asuma and Konohamaru as uncle and nephew, since I'd hope Asuma wouldn't let his kid turn out spoiled.

Nope, I wasn't done with Tsunade just yet. Since she's already shown some capacity to get over her personal failings, I see no reason for her not to bounce back from yet another tragedy. Although, now having been a Hokage, she probably has a better idea of why Jiraiya didn't accept the job, and how three people can manage the pressure better than one ever could. You can probably tell I made up that word problem myself.

Kudos if you know the anime characters who inspired Hinata's junior teammates (hint: I also borrowed their summons). If you don't, you're not missing out on an actual prize or anything. Just very minor bragging rights. (hint: they're from Digimon… as if that narrows it down!)

Kudos (again) if you caught the pun on "rabbit wolverines," and if you didn't (again), no big deal. I'm just an Avatar junkie, and it shows. It's not that I don't think the chuunin exams wouldn't change a little or a lot over the years. It's just... how do you top the Forest of Death? I'm sure I don't know. All I could come up with was throwing in a new species to torment the genin.

Yes, I realize that Kyuubi is an evil demon fox, that he hates Naruto for a whole list of reasons, and that Naruto doesn't much care for him, either. But I'm a firm believer in the idea that if you spend too much time with someone (especially unwillingly), at some point, you have to agree on some things in order to keep from ripping each other's heads off. And while Kyuubi has to save Naruto's life in order to stay alive, he's not likely to help Naruto in other situations unless he benefits as well. So I came up with a system of compromises that helps them more or less get along. There's still going to be name-calling, pettiness, and general one-upmanship, but that's hardly any different from how Naruto treated Sasuke, and they managed not to kill each other (for a while, at least).

Each clan has it's own rituals about passing on power, whether it's offering up babies to bugs, or scarring people for life literally and figuratively. I like to think the Inuzuka way isn't quite that harsh (how can you be evil if you grew up with puppies?), so I imagine it's only a mixing of blood that binds a dog to its master. That, and I felt I needed a better explanation as to how Hinata was doing Kiba-like things.

Apparently kitsune in general have a great fear or hatred of dogs. But since Kyuubi is the most powerful of the tailed beasts (if one is a dog, it it's nowhere near as powerful), I figure it's just hatred in this case.

I should point out again that I'm not reading the manga. I don't have that much money or patience, and most of what I do know about it comes from Wikipedia (sure, they make mistakes, but there's still a TON of info, and it's updated/corrected fairly often). And I say all of that to say Kyuubi and Naruto's abilities in the story aren't canon to my knowledge.

Naruto seems pretty insistent on people being able to make their own choices, and I think part of that stems from his not having a say in the whole Kyuubi being sealed inside his body thing. I know it sounds ridiculous to ASK somebody that sort of thing, but it's even more ridiculous to mistreat them over something they had no choice in and can't do anything about, if you ask me. So I could see him getting really pissed at Kakashi for stepping on Hinata's freedom, even if it was for the best.

If you still haven't figured out why Hanabi refuses to have children, or how she intends to honor her promise to Neji, (actually, the answers to both are the same) keep an eye out for the upcoming chapter of Hyuuga Secret Arts, tentatively titled "Remembrance." Nope, it has nothing to do with dead people.

And for everyone who's been asking about it, look for the next chapters of "Building Clan Uzumaki," mostly because they will FINALLY start getting to the point where there actually IS a clan to speak of, or at least a very tiny family.


	9. Epilogue

Notes: At last, the final chapter of White Dog Night. This is set some time after Chapters 4 and 5 of Building Clan Uzumaki.

**White Dog Night**

**Part 8: Epilogue**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

Hinata didn't want to get out of bed. Naruto had left early every morning that week, and today could turn out to be the only time she got to wake up next to him for a while, if he kept having those meetings with Kakashi. She had missed greeting the day with his scent thick in her nose, and his arm draped possessively over her waist.

Not to mention the house was strangely quiet for it being so early in the morning. Hinata couldn't recall the last time that had been the case.

Still, she had to get up. There was food that needed cooking, clothes that needed cleaning, and if the familiar flare of chakra she felt approaching was who she thought it was, there would soon be visitors to entertain.

With a wistful sigh, Hinata slowly removed Naruto's arm, brushing his chin with a kiss to quiet the soft growl that slipped from him whenever he sensed her leaving the bed. She quickly slipped on a simple robe, before heading over to the two cribs waiting against the wall of their bedroom. She couldn't help smiling as she peered into the nearest crib, only to find a pair of deep blue eyes staring up at her.

"Hello, my bright little sun," she cooed, reaching down to stroke the boy's golden hair. "I think this is the first time you haven't woken me up. You're not feeling sick, are you?"

Much to her amusement, Enten seized her fingers in a firm grip, but squealed with laughter when her other hand poked at his exposed underarm. She lifted him out of the crib with practiced ease, cradling his blond head against her shoulder as she moved to the other crib.

Hinata was surprised to see that Tsuki was still asleep. Usually, Enten's cries woke up everyone in the room, and Tsuki would join in more out of habit than actual need. It honestly felt strange, only having to tend to one child at a time, if only for the moment. But Tsuki was a sensitive baby, and she would no doubt wake up soon, missing either one or both of them. And even if that weren't the case, there would soon be more than enough noise to awaken anyone left sleeping in the house.

Sure enough, Hinata had barely made it out of the bedroom when someone banged on the front door in an all too familiar manner.

"Open up, oba-san! You promised to let us see the babies!" a young voice shouted.

Shaking her head, Hinata hurried downstairs to the front door, but made no move to open it. "I know that couldn't possibly be my niece pounding on the door like that," she remarked loudly. "I remember her having much better manners!"

"That's only when stuffy, important people are looking, and you know it!"

"Now what would your mother say if she heard you talking like that?"

There was a loud snort. "Where you do you think I learned the phrase 'stuffy, important people' from?"

Laughing, Hinata opened the door, and was instantly tackled around the waist by a very loud, very eager, and slightly sweaty Hyuuga Irihi. Enten whimpered uncertainly, not sure if his mother was being greeted or attacked.

Irihi was followed a few seconds later by her only friend to date, Aburame Shinju. Like her father before her, Shinju wasn't the type to speak much or often, and kept herself well-covered from head to toe. But she was polite, and so Hinata didn't need to remind her (as she probably would have Irihi) that it was common courtesy to make sure a door was shut after you'd practically shoved it open. On the other hand, Shinju had never taken off the wide, black straw hat that did an excellent job of hiding her entire face unless you were standing far too close, which was neither comfortable nor advisable. But Irihi liked her, and Shinju seemed to return the sentiment somewhat (not even Naruto would get up this early to go running around the village with Irihi every single day), so she was a saint in Hinata's view.

"Have you girls eaten yet?" Hinata asked, directing the question more to Shinju than Irihi. Shinju was more likely to be honest, where Irihi was more likely to lie outright if she thought there was any chance of getting some of Hinata's famous cinnamon buns.

"No, Uzumaki-san," Shinju replied at once. "Irihi thought it would be best to wait until we got here."

Not surprisingly, Irihi was carefully avoiding Hinata's knowing gaze by checking her sandals for dirt.

"I suppose it would be rude not to offer you some breakfast," Hinata said slowly.

"Oh, you don't have to go to any trouble, oba-san!" Irihi immediately answered, waving her hands. "I mean, if you've got some cinnamon buns lying around, then we'll-"

"Gladly eat them all?"

"Well, there's no sense in WASTING them; that's just CRAZY!"

Hinata rolled her eyes. "As if they even could go to waste between you and Naruto."

"But it's not our fault! You're the one who makes them taste so good!" Irihi protested. "And you make them small, so it just seems silly to eat only one!"

Hinata could only shake her head again, since Naruto had used the same excuses on her more than once. "Fine, fine. Think you can keep an eye on Enten while I get started on breakfast?"

"No problem, oba-san! Just leave him to us!" Irihi grinned as Hinata handed Enten to her. "Hey, little guy! How about a big smile for your favorite cousin, huh?"

Far too used to having women fuss over him, Enten merely yawned and clung to Irihi's neck, looking bored at best. He had never been picky about who held him, and he almost never got excited about it, either. To this day, Naruto still joked about testing his son for Nara blood, which Shikamaru didn't find funny at all.

"Isn't he the cutest thing, Shinju?" Irihi demanded proudly.

Shinju looked about as excited as Enten did. "Adorable," she replied flatly.

Once she was sure that Enten would be okay with the girls, Hinata went into the kitchen. A quick look around revealed that they were running low on most of the things she normally would've prepared for breakfast. On the other, she had yet to receive any complaints on the rare occasions when she made nothing but cinnamon buns...

And, sure enough, the only ingredients Hinata could find a surplus of were those required for cinnamon buns. "It's like they planned it this way," she muttered under her breath, glancing over her shoulder suspiciously. Irihi had talked Shinju into holding Enten, and the latter two were staring uncomfortably at each other, though it was impossible to tell who was enjoying themselves less.

"Hinata!" Naruto suddenly shouted from upstairs, sounding panicked. "Enten got out again!"

"He's down here!" she shouted back.

"Oh. Well, couldn't you have left me a note? I wake up to find his crib empty, I freak out, then Tsuki wakes up and SHE freaks out, then-"

"Can't hear you, I'm making cinnamon buns!" she called up.

Rather predictably, the complaints were almost instantly replaced by rapid footfalls, a pause, and more footfalls that were not as rapid, but as fast as they could be while safely carrying a child. Naruto entered the kitchen a moment later, humming an upbeat tune while gently bouncing their daughter in his arms. He shifted her to one arm so he could wrap the other around Hinata and pull her in for a proper kiss (Naruto firmly believed that you weren't in love unless you could kiss anywhere like you kissed at home, a philosophy which often got other husbands sour looks from their jealous wives).

"I never get tired of doing that," he confessed with a lecherous grin.

"You'd better not," Hinata replied, smirking.

Naruto laughed before turning his attention back to the tiny, dark-haired girl in his arms. "Hey, angel. Wanna say hi to Mama? Uh, I'm just gonna assume that drool bubble is a yes."

Hinata giggled softly as she leaned over to kiss her daughter's cheek. "Good morning, my beautiful little moon."

As she always did when someone kissed her, Tsuki shrieked in delight, waving her pudgy little hands excitedly. Her milky lavender eyes shifted back to Naruto when he caught her tiny fist in his mouth and pretended to eat it, sending her into another fit of happy, high-pitched squealing.

Naruto had just released Tsuki's fist when he suddenly felt some extra weight on his leg. He looked down, only to find Irihi wrapped around his leg, smiling sweetly up at him. Having known her far too long to be fooled, he just came right out and asked, "What do you want, and how much trouble am I going to be in with your parents if I give it to you?"

Irihi let go of him and did her best to look deeply offended. "I was just going to ask if I could hold Tsuki, oji-san!"

"I don't know... she can be pretty picky about who holds her," Naruto murmured, which was not exactly a lie. Tsuki usually only remained calm if she was held by Hinata, Naruto, or a member of the Hyuuga Clan. She hadn't even warmed up to Temari yet, while Enten preferred (but didn't insist on) being held by blonds like himself.

"But you know she likes me!" Irihi insisted.

There was no way Naruto could debate that, for as soon as Tsuki spotted her cousin, she began to wriggle wildly in his arms. Of all the Hyuuga, Irihi was the only one that had figured out that Tsuki loved playing peek-a-boo with people that resembled her.

"Okay, fine," Naruto sighed, feeling a bit betrayed as he allowed Tsuki to squirm out of his grip and into Irihi's arms. "Just don't-"

Irihi immediately kissed Tsuki on the nose, and was promptly rewarded with a joyous screech.

"Get her excited," he finished, shaking his head.

"She's with me; how could she NOT be excited?" Irihi asked with a grin.

Naruto grinned as well, but for a completely different reason. No matter how different they were, Irihi looked and dressed like a small, female Neji. And just imagining Neji talking like his daughter always made Naruto snicker.

"Well, you don't want Hinata distracted while she's cooking. The cinnamon buns might come out too sweet or something."

Naruto paused, considered that for a moment, and then gave serious thought to kissing Tsuki again himself. But even though Hinata was peering into the oven, he could practically feel her eyes on him, so he simply watched as Irihi carried Tsuki over to the couch, where Shinju was giving Enten's bottom a rather suspicious stare.

"So no meeting today?" Hinata asked suddenly, still facing the oven.

"No meeting today," Naruto confirmed, pleased with himself as he said it. He walked over to Hinata and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I have the whole day off."

"Oh, good. So you can watch the girls watch the twins."

Naruto frowned and squeezed her waist. "No, the correct answer was, 'That's wonderful, my sweet Naruto! I also have the day off! We should spend it together! Preferably in bed!' See how it just rolls off the tongue?"

Hinata glanced at him. "That was a horrible impersonation, I have never called you 'my sweet Naruto,' and how can you, of all people, possibly think of going back to bed without eating first?"

"I was actually thinking we'd take some cinnamon buns with us." His hands drifted lazily down her body. "Aside from these, I mean..." A small gasp and a flush of color to Hinata's cheeks was all the answer he needed. "Great. So we'll stuff the girls with sweets, shove them off on Temari, and see who tires out who first."

"Ugh. There goes my appetite for the day," Temari groaned as she walked into the kitchen. "Honestly, Naruto. 'Cinnamon buns' is the best compliment you can come up with?"

He smirked. "You've never tasted-"

"Naruto!" Hinata cried, completely red in the face.

"Well, she obviously hasn't, or she wouldn't disagree with me!"

Hinata was seconds away from stealing Temari's fan to whack him over the head with, when she heard a strange noise. It almost sounded like there was a very large bug somewhere close by, except the droning buzz it made was more relaxing than it was grating.

Temari was the first to spot the source. "Hey, what's with the kids?" she asked, walking over to the couch.

Tsuki was staring at Shinju with a wide-eyed, confused expression on her face, and Enten was carefully patting different areas on Shinju's body, trying to figure out exactly where the noise was coming from. Even Irihi seemed mesmerized by the Aburame girl's unique song.

"Great. We've been trying to figure out how to get Tsuki quiet forever, and Shinju does it in five minutes," Naruto groaned. "You think Shino would rent her to us at night, Hinata?"

She shook her head. "I really doubt it. Most parents prefer to have their children home at night."

"Well, I'd pay him a lot," Naruto pointed out, as if that might help.

Hinata patted his cheek tenderly. "You'll just have to accept that fact that we might actually have to raise our own children at some point, Naruto."

"I raise them! I just prefer to do it when they're good!"

"They're just babies. They don't know when they're good or bad yet."

"You think so? Then why did Tsuki giggle when she went all over Neji?"

Hinata blushed. "That was completely innocent. Anyway, Tsuki is always giggling."

Naruto snorted loudly. "She was practically cackling! Not that I blame her, but-"

"It only happened once!"

"Yeah, but only because Neji won't come near her anymore. Not that I blame him."

"That's not fair! Temari won't hold her, either."

"Totally different situation," Temari interrupted as she came back into the kitchen holding Enten. "I lost the use of my ears for a whole day the last time I even touched Tsuki. Meanwhile, I can carry my little man here around all day and never hear a peep of protest." She gave Enten a loud, wet kiss on his cheek, and was rewarded with a playful tug on her hair. "Anyway, at least I'll still hold one. Hanabi probably wouldn't even poke them with a stick."

"She's waiting for them to be a little less messy," Naruto replied. "And I guess I can't blame her. She can't go to all those important meetings with spit-up on her."

"I'm starting to think you don't even like our children," Hinata complained, glaring at Naruto.

"Hey, you know that's not true. They look just like us. I like us! In fact, I like us so much, I think us should go back to bed while everybody else leaves!"

"Real subtle, Naruto," Temari sighed.

"I don't have to be subtle! It's my house, and I'm hor-"

"Horrible for talking like that in front of our son?" Hinata suggested, poking Naruto in the ribs.

"He needs to know that his parents need their alone time," Naruto maintained stubbornly. "The sooner he learns it, the better off we'll be. Besides, he's a guy, too. One day, he'll understand, and he'll thank me for not messing around in front of him."

"Hell, I'll thank you for that now," Temari chuckled.

"Thank me by watching the kids today?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Nice try. I'll watch the kid who likes me. You want them both watched, you get me a partner."

"Iri!" Naruto shouted. "Wanna make some money?"

"Yeah!" Irihi shouted back excitedly.

"Help Temari watch the kids!"

"Okay, oji-san!"

Naruto sighed wistfully. "Damn Neji. Why'd he get the easy kid?"

Temari rolled her eyes. "Don't be dumb, Iri isn't good. She just doesn't act up when she's with us."

"She sleeps when we tell her to, and she keeps all her food down. That's all I really need right now."

"I hate to tell you this, Naruto, but kids aren't built for convenience. That's the way it's always been. Most of them grow out of it, but... eh. You might get lucky, though. And it could always be worse."

"How?" Naruto asked at once.

"Enten could be fussy, too. Or he could've turned out like my little brother."

"Hey, come on. Kankurou isn't THAT bad."

"Very funny," Temari remarked, flicking his forehead. "I'm serious, though. You should be thankful he's so calm most of the time. But that probably means that Tsuki will give you nothing but trouble. One of them had to inherit the bad behavior genes."

"Actually, Kyuubi's been almost content recently," Hinata pointed out.

"Who's talking about him? I meant Naruto."

"HEY!" Naruto cried, glaring at her.

"Quiet, you. You're disturbing my nephew." Temari kissed the top of Enten's head as he buried his face in her shoulder.

"Neji's right, it really is weird to see you with a kid, nee-chan," Naruto commented.

Temari grinned at him. "No weirder than the idea of Hinata agreeing to marry YOU, and I got over it."

Hinata cleared her throat to interrupt them. "I think we've insulted my husband enough for one day. Temari, please remind Irihi not to excite Tsuki too much. She can get pretty loud, and lately Akamaru's been holing himself up in Sayuri's..." She trailed off suddenly, her lips pressing into a thin line.

"The shed," Naruto said quietly, squeezing his wife's shoulder.

"The shed," Hinata repeated softly. "Just make sure she knows."

"Yeah, okay," Temari murmured slowly, recognizing the pained look on Hinata's face. "I'm just gonna take Enten and the girls outside for a few minutes."

Naruto waited until Temari had slipped out of the kitchen before drawing Hinata into a tight hug. "We talked about this, Hinata. There was nothing else we could do for her here."

"How can you be sure? Sayuri was... IS our first child, so-"

"So she's got the best teacher around to learn from. It's what Sayuri wanted and needed. You shouldn't feel bad about her leaving."

"What if... she doesn't come back?" Hinata whispered.

"Don't think like that. She's fine. And don't forget who she's with. What are the chances that anyone could snatch a cute young girl from the biggest pervert that ever lived?"

Hinata managed a choked sort of laugh. "I miss her, Naruto. I miss her so much..." She buried her face in his chest, clinging to him tightly.

"C'mon, stop that," Naruto murmured soothingly in her ear, gently stroking her back. "Sayuri would be mad if she knew you were acting like this. You know she's allergic to affection. Told me so herself. We don't want her to come back with a rash, do we?"

"You're not worried at all?"

"Nope! Sayuri's tough, and she's smart. To tell you the truth, I'm more worried about Ero-sennin. He'll be lucky if she doesn't crack his fool skull open for spying on girls. Anyway, we... huh."

Hinata raised her head, spotting the curious look on his face at once. "What is it?"

"We've got a visitor. Nobody we know, either. Doesn't seem hostile, though. I'll go check it out." Naruto released her and quickly strode to the front door, not at all surprised when Hinata followed him. A few quick sniffs told him that Temari had taken the children to one of the other houses, so he wasn't worried about them for the moment.

Seconds later, a man in a brown uniform appeared in the yard, and recognizing him as a courier-nin, Naruto relaxed considerably as he walked out to meet him.

"The fox ate the man, the boy ate the fox. What does the boy eat now?" the courier-nin asked.

Naruto grinned. "Ramen every day."

The courier-nin nodded and produced a small box, which he handed over. "Your package, Uzumaki-san, in the same condition it was given to me." Making a polite bow, he was gone again in an instant.

The first thing Naruto noticed was a red line on the box that looked a great deal like smeared blood. A sniff confirmed this as fact, as well as the identity of the sender, but Naruto had known that the moment he heard the security riddle. He walked back to the house, where Hinata was staring anxiously at the box tucked under his arm.

"What is it, Naruto? And who sent it?"

He only smiled and gave her the box. "Let's find out."

Hinata turned the box over in her hands, her eyes going straight to the blood smear. "Oh... he was injured! I wish he'd stayed so I could take a look at him..."

"I don't think it was his, Hinata," Naruto chuckled, handing her a kunai. "Just open it, okay?"

More curious than ever now, Hinata carefully sliced open the shipping tape and slowly pulled the box open. Inside were three paperweights of crudely carved clay: a fox, a dog, and a toad. Along with them were two slightly dirty scrolls, one with Hinata's name printed on it.

While Naruto gathered up the paperweights and looked for a good place to put them, Hinata opened the scroll and read it aloud.

"Hina-mama, this is my first letter. Ever. Jiraiya-sensei thought you might like to know that. He won't tell me what I should put in it, though. So I stole a little of his next novel to send to you and Naru-papa, just to punish him. I think he based the main couple on you two. It's about a fox and a dog spirit, who both disguise themselves as humans, and are tricked into falling in love by a crafty but handsome toad. I don't think it will sell well. Make sure Irihi doesn't slack off in her training. The baby should be there by now; do they really smell as bad as Jiraiya-sensei says? And Hina-mama, stop worrying about me; it's insulting to my ability, plus it makes me itch. I found a good use for your staff, but Jiraiya-sensei's head is so hard, he might break it soon. Do you have an extra? We should return a week before the chuunin exams. Don't worry about the blood, I wanted to make sure Naru-papa got my package to you. Sincerely, Sayuri."

Hinata was still staring at the scroll, a smile plastered across her face, when Naruto returned empty-handed.

"Found a place! So what did it say?" he asked.

Hinata handed Naruto the second scroll. "A gift. From our daughter."

He nodded expectantly, slipping the scroll into his pocket. "And she's okay, right?"

"Yes, you were right," she sighed. "I shouldn't have worried."

"One of us has to. It's in the job description somewhere. Just don't get all sad about it. I might think I wasn't making you happy or something."

Laughing, Hinata kissed his cheek. "I don't think that's possible, Naruto. I'm always happy with you."

"Sure, you say that now," Naruto teased, ticking her ribs. "But I seem to remember a certain videotape where you damned me and Kyuubi to hell."

"That's what you get for recording childbirth," Hinata replied smugly. "I warned you it wouldn't be pretty, especially not with twins."

"How was I supposed to know you were serious? Neji made everyone wait outside when Tenten went into labor, I was on a mission when Ino gave birth, and Sakura knocked out half the lights in the hospital when she punched Lee through that wall."

"And yet that didn't tip you off?"

"It was Sakura and Lee! I figured that wasn't normal!"

Hinata opened her mouth to tell him it was, paused, and thought about what she was saying. "Well, I suppose the wall and the lights weren't, and usually they don't have quite so much trouble restraining the mothers, but it all worked out fine." Which really only meant that Lee had repaired the damages, and the hospital staff insisted that if Shizune got pregnant, Tsunade would have to deliver the baby herself, as they just couldn't risk the lives of so many employees again. Needless to say, Shizune was mortified, and the nurses still told horror stories about Sakura and the trail of crushed hands she'd left on nearly every floor.

"I just hope Shikamaru remembers to lock up Temari's fan somewhere if he ever gets her pregnant. That's a good way to get booted out of his clan early," Naruto noted, wincing at the thought.

"Getting her pregnant before marrying her, or the resulting property damage?" Hinata asked absently.

Naruto shrugged. "Either, I guess. Or both."

"We were lucky, weren't we?"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? We were married way before-"

"Not that, Naruto," Hinata interrupted. "I meant we were lucky to have the children. All of them."

"I'll make up my mind after Sayuri meets the twins. Knowing her, she'll probably break out in hives as soon as she sees them."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad."

Naruto gave her a long, doubtful look.

"Well, I hope it won't," Hinata murmured softly.

**End of Part 8.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Enten: scorching sun.

Tsuki: moon. The phrase "kitsune-tsuki" also refers to being possessed by a fox.

Irihi: evening/setting sun.

Shinju: pearl.

Sayuri: small lily.

For more info on Irihi and Shinju, see "The Iron Hyuuga" (in progress).

For more info on Sayuri, see "A Uchiha Among Uzumaki" (also in progress).

For more info on Enten and Tsuki, chances are they'll show up in both, as well as in a few more stories.

I liked the idea of courier-nin, so I made an excuse to use one in a story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I make no money from this. Hyuuga Irihi, Aburame Shinju, Uzumaki Enten, Uzumaki Tsuki, and Sayuri belong to me.


End file.
